Where To Find A Gift Tax Form

You will need to complete a gift tax form in two scenarios. The first occurs if you are administering the estate of someone who has passed away and the person’s estate and gifts total more than $3,500,000. The second occurs where you give cash and property gifts that are required to be reported to the IRS on a gift tax return. The most common gift tax form - the one you complete to report gifts given even if they are exempt from taxation - is Form 709.

Form 709 and its instructions are available through the IRS website or through your tax attorney or accountant. This form is required for nearly all gifts that exceed the exclusion limit ($12,000 in 2008; $13,000 in 2009). If you and your spouse split a gift, even if the total gift is under the exclusion amount, you must still report the split on Form 709.

In addition to Form 709, you may find Publication 950 to be useful, as it is an IRS pamphlet (also available in PDF format online) that covers the estate and gift tax filing requirements. This publication will help you determine when you need to file and how to comply with IRS regulations.