Give it Away Now

Rob Moore, MQFP® and Omen Quelvog CFP®, MQFP® unpack the 2026 gifting rules, including annual exclusions, direct tuition and medical payments, 529 superfunding, charitable strategies, and family loans. They also explore why purchasing help can be a legitimate financial-planning tool and how clear expectations keep generosity from creating family conflict.

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🕯️ Remembering Beirut

• The episode marks 43 years since the October 23, 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.

⏳ Intel Update: Buying Back Your Time

• Inspired by Meghaan Lurtz’s article, the hosts discuss treating household help as infrastructure rather than indulgence.

🎁 2026 Gift-Tax Basics

• The annual federal gift-tax exclusion is $19,000 per giver, per recipient.
• Married couples can effectively give $38,000 per recipient when each spouse uses an exclusion.
• Gifts above the annual limit generally require IRS Form 709, but the excess first reduces the giver’s $15 million lifetime estate-and-gift exemption rather than automatically creating tax.
• The recipient generally does not file Form 709 or pay federal gift tax merely for receiving the gift.

🎓 Unlimited Direct-Payment Opportunities

• Tuition paid directly to an educational institution can qualify for an unlimited exclusion. Room, board, books, and supplies do not.
• Qualifying medical expenses paid directly to the provider can also fall outside the annual and lifetime limits.
• A 529 plan may be “superfunded” with five years of exclusions at once: up to $95,000 from one giver or $190,000 from a couple in 2026. Form 709 is required to make the five-year election.

📈 Cash, Shares & Charitable Giving

• Appreciated assets gifted during life generally carry the giver’s cost basis; inherited assets may receive a step-up in basis. Cash may therefore be the cleaner lifetime gift in some situations.
• Consider kiddie-tax consequences before transferring income-producing assets to children.
• Charitably inclined households should compare standard-deduction rules, bunching, donor-advised funds, appreciated securities, and qualified charitable distributions before acting.

🤝 Gifts, Loans & Family Expectations

• Clarify whether money is a gift, a loan, or support for a specific purpose before transferring it.
• Family loans may require interest based on the IRS Applicable Federal Rate and proper documentation.
• Down-payment gifts often need a signed gift letter and a clean paper trail for the mortgage lender.
• Give with a “warm hand” when appropriate, but consider whether the assistance rewards healthy behavior or enables a recurring problem.

🔗 Links & Resources

• Help Me, I’ve Got Money