Givers, not receivers, pay the federal gift tax, but you can give away up to $13.61 million in cash or other assets during your lifetime (tax year 2024) without triggering the gift tax.
If you're still a dependent of your parents and they're paying for your higher education--room and board for example--this isn't considered a gift. A transfer of $100,000 to you directly is considered a gift and may be taxable to the giver.
If you make $1,000,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $477,486. That means that your net pay will be $522,514 per year, or $43,543 per month. Your average tax rate is 47.8% and your marginal tax rate is 52.9%.
Lifetime IRS Gift Tax Exemption
If a gift exceeds the $19,000 limit for 2025, that does not automatically trigger the gift tax. For 2025, the IRS allows a person to give away up to $13.99 million in assets or property over the course of their lifetime and/or as part of their estate.
From this perspective, if you are inclined to give, you should gift as much as you can comfortably afford during your lifetime, while remaining aware of the available step-up in capital gain basis for inherited assets. So, gift your assets that have minimal gains and save your most appreciated assets for inheritance.
You must submit a gift tax return if you present more than $15,000 in cash or assets (for example, stocks, land, or a new automobile) to any one individual in a year. This condition does not imply that you must pay a gift tax. It simply means you must complete IRS Form 709 to report the gift.
If you want to give hefty gifts to your loved ones without worrying about paying a gift tax, you should give something that doesn't exceed the annual credit of $18,000. The good news is that the limit is set per person, and you can pay the same amount to another person in the same year without filing the return.
For 2021, you can forgive up to $15,000 per borrower ($30,000 if your spouse joins in the gift) without paying gift taxes or using any of your lifetime exemption. (These amounts are the same as in 2020.) But you will still have interest income in the year of forgiveness. Forgive (don't forget).
A check or money order provides a secure way to give money. Your gift can be tracked and voided if lost or stolen, which offers an added layer of safety. Another benefit is the convenience. You can write a check from your bank account and money orders are widely available at banks, retail stores and more.
It's not inherently illegal to pay someone a lot of money, and do it by check. But it sure does raise suspicion of illegality. People don't randomly give large amounts of money to one other.
Any gifts exceeding $18,000 in a year must be reported and contribute to your lifetime exclusion amount. You can gift up to $13.61 million over your lifetime without paying a gift tax on it (as of 2024). The IRS adjusts the annual exclusion and lifetime exclusion amounts every so often.
Inheritance checks are generally not reported to the IRS unless they involve cash or cash equivalents exceeding $10,000. Banks and financial institutions are required to report such transactions using Form 8300. Most inheritances are paid by regular check, wire transfer, or other means that don't qualify for reporting.
Everyone owes federal taxes on lottery winnings. While an automatic 24% is withheld upfront, you would almost certainly owe a total of 37% when filing your 2024 tax return, as winning a billion dollars would put you in the top tax bracket.
Bottom Line. California doesn't enforce a gift tax, but you may owe a federal one. However, you can give up to $19,000 in cash or property during the 2025 tax year and up to $18,000 in the 2024 tax year without triggering a gift tax return.
A gift letter is a formal document proving that money you have received is a gift, not a loan, and that the donor has no expectations for you to pay the money back. A gift can be broadly defined to include a sale, exchange, or other transfer of property from one person (the donor) to another (the recipient).
Trusts can be written for minors or for adults, with the distribution of funds outlined in the trust agreement. “A trust is a good vehicle to clearly establish your intent for your gift while also functioning as a means to reduce the size of your taxable estate for the future," said Goldman.