Gift Tax Calculator 2026
Estimate whether your gift is tax-free under the $20,000 annual exclusion, how it affects your $13,990,000 lifetime exemption, and whether you must file Form 709.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the total gift amount given to one person in 2026.
- Select your filing status — married couples can split gifts, doubling the annual exclusion to $40,000.
- Optional: enter the lifetime exemption amount you have already used on past Form 709 filings.
- Review the taxable gift, remaining lifetime exemption, and any tax due.
2026 Gift Tax Figures
Annual exclusion (per recipient): $20,000 Married couple (split gift): $40,000 Lifetime (unified) exemption: $13,990,000 Tax rate schedule: 18% – 40% (applies only above lifetime exemption) Tuition / medical paid directly: always excluded
Why the Annual Exclusion Matters
Most gifts fall under the annual exclusion and never touch your lifetime exemption — that is how wealthy families transfer money year after year without filing anything. The exclusion is per recipient, so you can gift $20,000 to any number of people. Exceeding it is not a penalty; it simply reduces your lifetime exemption, which is why Form 709 exists to track the usage.
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Worked Example
In 2026 you give your daughter $30,000. The annual exclusion is $20,000 per recipient, so $10,000 is a taxable gift that counts against your $13,990,000 lifetime exemption. With no prior gifts, your remaining exemption drops to $13,980,000 and no tax is due, but you must file Form 709 to record it. If you had already used $13,995,000 of the exemption in prior years, the remaining $5,000 of the excess would be taxed at 18% to 40% on the graduated rate schedule, roughly $1,800 at the lowest tier. A married couple splitting the gift could cover the full $30,000 under the combined $40,000 exclusion, filing nothing at all. The calculator walks through both cases.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A frequent mistake is assuming every gift is taxable; gifts within the annual exclusion are never taxed and never reported. Another is ignoring the per-recipient nature of the exclusion — you can gift $20,000 to each of any number of people. People also forget that exceeding the exclusion is not a tax trigger by itself; it merely reduces the lifetime exemption, and Form 709 tracks the usage. Direct tuition or medical payments to the provider are always excluded, so do not treat them as gifts. Finally, state gift taxes exist in a few states such as Connecticut, and large gifts can interact with estate planning, so the federal-only view is not always the whole picture.
When to Consult a Tax Professional
The calculator covers a single gift, but consult an estate attorney or CPA when you gift large amounts repeatedly, fund a trust, or approach the lifetime exemption. Business valuation, closely held stock, and property transfers carry rules the tool cannot model. Married couples should confirm gift-splitting election formalities (Form 709 filed by both). If your estate is large, gifting strategy interacts with the estate tax and stepped-up basis, so professional planning can preserve family wealth far beyond what a one-off estimate shows.
Sources & Further Reading
The annual exclusion, lifetime exemption, and Form 709 requirements are explained by the IRS at IRS.gov. State gift tax nuances are tracked by the Federation of Tax Administrators at TaxAdmin.org. The calculator uses the 2026 federal figures above.
Disclaimer: SaveTaxUS calculators provide estimates only and do not constitute official tax advice. All calculations run locally in your browser — we never upload your income, property, or financial data.
Data source: Rates are based on publicly available 2026 IRS federal brackets and state tax publications. For formal filing, consult a licensed CPA. Last updated: July 2026.