| A single person can reduce their taxable estate by use of the $365,000.00 lifetime gift tax exclusion. A married couple can reduce their taxable estate by use of the $730,000.00 lifetime gift tax exclusion ($365,000.00 x 2 = $730.000.00). |
| Philip McCarthy Attorney at Law |
| UTILIZATION GIFT TAX EXCLUSIONS TO REDUCE THE TAXABLE ESTATE |
| LONG ANSWER IT’S BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO PAY TAXES Suppose that John and Mary’s estate is worth more than $4,000,000.00. In this case, John and Mary can reduce the amount above that protected by the preservation of their individual personal exclusions by making gifts during their lifetimes of up to $365,000.00 each ($365,000.00 x 2 = $730,000.00). By utilizing the gift tax exclusion to reduce the estate tax, John and Mary can avoid estate taxes on an estate of up to $4,730,000.00. Even if the gift to one individual in any given year exceeds the $12,000.00, per year limit to an individual donee, any amount that exceeds the annual per person limit can be carried over into later years to reduce total tax liability up to the lifetime limit. |
| For a more detailed analysis of the tax advantage of utilizing the Gift Tax Exclusion contact me. |
| For a more detailed analysis of the tax advantage of utilizing the Gift Tax Exclusion contact me. |