For most, the release of the Consumer Price Index by the Department of Labor goes unnoticed. However, this information allows for the prediction of the 2018 estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax amounts.
Estate Tax Exemption – Under current federal tax law, a U.S. citizen may pass tax-free (by gift or at their death) the total sum of $5,490,000 to their heirs and beneficiaries (excluding their spouse). This amount is projected to increase to $5,600,000 in 2018. As a result, in 2018 a couple (U.S. citizens) will be able to collectively transfer $11,200,000.00 without incurring a federal estate or gift tax. This amount will also be applicable to gifts made to grandchildren and future generations (the generation-skipping transfer tax (GST)).
Annual Gift Tax Exclusion –A U.S. citizen is entitled to gift a sum certain each year to an unlimited number of individuals (the “annual gift tax exclusion”) without any tax consequences. In 2018, the annual gift tax exclusion amount is projected to increase from $14,000 to $15,000 per individual recipient. The exclusion amount for gifts to a spouse who is not a U.S. citizen (the so-called “super-annual exclusion”) is also projected to increase from $149,000 to $152,000.
