On October 19th, the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2017-58, the annual inflation adjustments for 2018 for many tax provisions, including exemptions for estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes as well as the annual exclusion amount for gifts as follows:
Estate, Gift and GST Tax Exemption Increases to $5,600,000. For estates of decedents who pass away during 2018, and for gifts made during 2018, the combined estate and gift tax exemption will increase to $5,600,000, up from a total of $5,490,000 for estates of decedents in 2017. The generation-skipping transfer exemption increased as well to $5,600,000. In 2018 an individual can bequeath $5,600,000 (or $11,200,000 from a married couple’s estate) to heirs and pay no federal estate or gift tax.
Gift Tax Annual Exclusion Increases to $15,000. For gifts made in 2018, the gift tax annual exclusion will increase to $15,000 from $14,000, where it has been since 2013. An individual can give to another individual up to this amount without utilizing any of the gift tax exemption. For example, a married couple can gift each donee up to $30,000 in 2018 without utilizing either spouse’s gift tax exemption amount.
If you have any questions about the inflation adjustments, we are available to answer your estate and gift tax questions at info@cpa-wfy.com or contact us here.