Estate and Gift Tax benefits on 529 Plan.?

Question

On the Arkansas Vanguard Gift 529 plan, it states that contributions of 60K per child (120K if joint filing used) made in a single year allows for 5yrs worth of federal tax-free gifts at one time. This is prorated over five years. Can someone please explain the benefits (federal tax-free gifts?)

Answer 1

If a gift of $60,000 is made in one year the donor would file a gift tax return, form 709, and elect by checking the box on page two to spread the gift over a five year period. This allows you to make five years worth of gifts in one year without incurring a gift tax or using part of the $1,000,000 lifetime gift exclusion.
If the person making the gift dies within the five years their estate would report the gift amount representing $12,000 times the number of years left in the five year period. If they die in year two then $36,000 is reported by their estate. If they die in year four then $12,000 is reported.
By making gifts this amount is out of their estate and would not be subject to estate tax at their death.
Annual gifting works like compound interest, if it is done consistently a large amount of wealth can be transferred to the next generation outside of the estate tax regime. Gifting can keep a non-taxable estate from becoming a taxable estate. It can help family members now when they may need help the most. In the case of the 529 account it transfers a large amount that is invested for a longer period and help accumulate more income that may never be taxable.
Good Luck!

Answer 2

The previous answers are very good ones, but if you max out your $60,000 gift now, it means if you give the child any other gift of $1 or more (like a birthday present) for the next five years you will trigger a tax event.

Depending on what you normal give this child for gifts you may want to reduce the amount you place in the 529 plan (by maybe $200 or $300) in order to avoid this trap.

Answer 3

Normally a person could only gift $12,000 per individual in one year without having to file a Gift Tax Return. (A husband and wife could gift $24,000 to each individual). So it would take 5 yrs of gifts in order to give another individual $60,000 of tax-free gifts. If a person gave a child $60,000 in a single year, the donor would be required to file a Gift Tax Return, and possibly pay tax on $48,000.

Your 529 plan is allowing 5yrs of federal tax-free gifts to be given at one time.

Answer 4

you are able to no longer withdraw money from an IRA for college without paying the two the ten% penalty AND taxes. you'll be puzzled using fact the 529 is often referred to as an guidance IRA. this isn't any longer an genuine designation. a real 529 would properly be utilized in ANY state and transferred to a diverse newborn if no longer used for the meant newborn. purely pay as you go training is constrained to a unmarried state. short answer: initiate your study from scratch. each little thing you think of you be attentive to is erroneous.