New tax laws raise a lot of questions, including the use of gifting.
Gifting is usually done as a way of shrinking an estate as much as possible to lower the eventual estate tax burden. However, that may no longer be necessary for some people, according to My San Antonio in “How gifting of ranch land to family can increase taxes owed.”
Some people will have no need to continue gifting programs designed to shrink an estate below the former exemption limit, so it will not make sense to continue those programs. However, that comes with a caveat.
The estate tax exemption limits are scheduled to revert to their previous levels in 2026. Many experts do not think that Congress will extend the exemption beyond then. That could mean that if someone lives past 2025, then a lot of gifting years have been wasted and more estate tax could ultimately be due.
Whether continuing a gifting program is a good idea, depends on an individual’s personal circumstances.
An estate planning attorney can advise you on revising or creating an estate plan that fits your unique circumstances.
Reference: My San Antonio (Jan. 29, 2018) “How gifting of ranch land to family can increase taxes owed.”
