Do gifts count as income to the recipient?

No. Gifts are not income to the recipient. Any tax obligation is the giver's, and only after exhausting the lifetime exemption.

Free tool

Gift Tax Calculator & Form 709 Checker

Q: What is the annual gift-tax exclusion in 2026?

In 2026 you can give up to $19,000 per recipient with no filing. A married couple splitting gifts can give up to $38,000 per recipient combined. Only amounts above the exclusion matter for tax.

Q: When do I have to file a Form 709?

When you give more than the annual exclusion to one person in a year (or split gifts as a couple). Filing rarely means tax owed; it records the excess against your lifetime exemption of about $15 million per person.

In 2026 you can give up to $19,000 per recipient ($38,000 for a married couple splitting gifts) with no gift tax and no filing; only amounts above that annual exclusion require a Form 709 and draw down your ~$15M lifetime exemption. Enter each gift below to see who goes over, whether you'll file a 709, and how much exemption you've used.

Your gifts this year (2026)

We're a married couple splitting gifts (doubles the exclusion to $38,000 per recipient)

Lifetime exemption already used (prior years)

Total gifted this year$0

Covered by annual exclusions$0

Taxable gifts (draw lifetime exemption)$0

Lifetime exemption remaining (~$15M)—

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How the gift tax actually works

What is the annual gift-tax exclusion?

In 2026 you can give up to $19,000 per recipient — to as many people as you like — with no tax filing at all. A married couple can "split" gifts and give up to $38,000 per recipient combined. Only amounts above the exclusion matter for tax.

When do I have to file a Form 709?

You file a 709 if you give more than the annual exclusion to any one person in a year (or if you split gifts as a couple). Important: filing almost never means you owe tax — it simply records the excess against your lifetime exemption (about $15 million per person in 2026).

What is the lifetime exemption?

It's the running total you can give away over your life (and at death) before any gift or estate tax applies — roughly $15M per person, $30M per couple, in 2026. Gifts above the annual exclusion draw it down; the calculator tracks how much you've used.

Do these gifts count as the recipient's income?

No. Gifts aren't income to the person receiving them. Any tax obligation is the giver's, and only after exhausting the lifetime exemption.

General information, not tax or legal advice. Exclusion and exemption figures change; verify current numbers with the IRS and consult your CPA or attorney.