Posted on November 01, 2015 in Uncategorized

The holiday season is upon us. For many, that means hitting the mall the day after Thanksgiving in search of the perfect gift. An often overlooked area for gifts? Your own estate.

Think of this as "strategic gifting." Not only will you be giving a loved-one a gift, but you may also reducing the size of your estate, avoiding or minimizing estate taxes, and ensuring your wealth is transferred to the next generation.

Under federal tax laws, you can gift up to $14,000 a year to another individual without incurring any gift tax. Gifts under $14,000 also don’t count against your lifetime combined federal estate and gift tax exemption.

Want to give more? Spouses can each gift $14,000 for a total of $28,000 per recipient; gifts to your child and his or her spouse, from you and your spouse bring the exemption amount to $56,000 per year.

Have a particularly large gift in mind? Consider bunching the gift tax exemptions, by making a partial gift close to year-end and the balance right at the start of the new year.

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