What happens when a parent gives an adult child a 50000 cash gift?

Answer 1

The child would have to claim it on taxes. Anything over ten thousand dollars is taxable. The limit has been raised for 2006, 2007 and 2008 is $12,000.

I disagree with the above.

Gifts aren't taxable under the income tax laws, but rather under the Gift Tax rules. That is, the tax is on the one that gives it, not the one that receives it. The gift tax has a number of options you can use...as shown below. (One caveat, in certain family situations you need to consider the lifetime gift exclusion for estate taxes, but it rarely becomes an issue).

If you gave any one person gifts in 2007 that are valued at more than $12,000, you must report the total gifts to the Internal Revenue Service and may have to pay tax on the gifts. The person who receives your gift does not have to report the gift to the IRS or pay gift or income tax on its value. Gifts include money and property, including the use of property without expecting to receive something of equal value in return. If you sell something at less than its value or make an interest-free or reduced-interest loan, you may be making a gift. There are some exceptions to the tax rules on gifts. The following gifts generally are not taxable and do not count against the annual limit: * Tuition or Medical Expenses that you pay directly to an educational or medical institution for someone's benefit * Gifts to your Spouse * Gifts to a Political Organization for its use * Gifts to Charities If you are married, both you and your spouse can give separate gifts of up to the annual limit of $12,000 to the same person without making a taxable gift. Alternatively, with consent from your spouse, you can make a gift of up to $24,000 ($12,000 x 2) to the same person without making a taxable gift. This is commonly known as splitting gifts between spouses. Essentially, it means a gift by you or your spouse to a third person can be considered as made one-half by each of you provided there is consent by both spouses. Now, if your adult child has a spouse, and or children, how much money can you give that isn't GIFT TAXABLE? Or, maybe it was a 50K loan you gave to that individual, (with interest of "love and affection"), principal payable at 12000 a year...that you can then gift each year.