Legal Definitions - gift-splitting

Definition: Gift-splitting is a tax strategy where a married couple combines their annual gift-tax exclusions to make a gift to a third person. This allows them to give a larger gift without having to pay gift tax.

Example: John and Jane are married and want to give their son a gift of $30,000. Instead of each giving $15,000 and having to pay gift tax on the excess, they decide to use gift-splitting. They combine their annual exclusions of $15,000 each, making a total of $30,000, and give it to their son without having to pay gift tax.

This example illustrates how gift-splitting allows a married couple to give a larger gift without having to pay gift tax. By combining their annual exclusions, they can give up to double the amount without incurring any tax liability.