What is an Annual gift tax exclusion?
The annual gift tax exclusion is a federal tax provision under IRC Section 2503(b) allowing individuals to transfer up to $19,000 per recipient during 2025 without incurring gift tax liability, filing reporting requirements, or reducing their $13.99 million lifetime gift and estate tax exemption. This exclusion applies separately to each recipient with no limit on the number of people who can receive gifts, enabling substantial wealth transfer through strategic planning. Married couples can combine their exclusions through gift splitting under IRC Section 2513 to transfer $38,000 per recipient annually by filing Form 709 to elect splitting. The exclusion resets each January 1 with no carry-forward of unused amounts. Recent tax law permanently increased the lifetime exemption to $15 million per person, effective January 2026, providing long-term planning certainty. Tax loss harvesting complements gifting strategies to maximize overall tax efficiency in wealth transfer planning.
























