What to do w/lrg physical cash gift from an elderly relative? Legal, banking & IRS implications? Best courses of action. (2024)

Simi Valley, CA asked in Estate Planning, Tax Law, Banking and Probate for California

My Uncle is 97 and intends to gift me a large amount in physical 'hard' cash either now or as an inheritance upon passing. He is admirable to whichever is more advisable. I desire to avoid a bank account freeze or other legal nonsense upon depositing of said funds i.e. 'fiat' currency. Please advise. Thnx for your assistance.

3LawyerAnswers

A:Ask him to buy gold with the cash and then give the gold to you. He should report the gift to the IRS and provide you with a copy of the gift tax return. That will help you establish your basis in the gold.

What to do w/lrg physical cash gift from an elderly relative? Legal, banking & IRS implications? Best courses of action. (3)

Julie King

Answered

  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • Monterey, CA
  • Licensed inCalifornia

A:There are many different ways to accomplish your objectives and each way has different tax implications. Depending on the amount a person wants to give away, he could give a gift of up to $17,000 (in 2023) per year without taxes. The recipient does not need to be a relative. But, if a person gives someone more than that amount in gifts in a year — including birthday, Christmas, graduation and all other gifts given that year — then the person giving the gift must file a gift tax return even if no gift tax is due. The money could also be given through a trust or will, depending on the giver’s estate plan. Have your uncle contact his estate planning lawyer to get more specific tax information tailored to his circ*mstances.

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What to do w/lrg physical cash gift from an elderly relative? Legal, banking & IRS implications? Best courses of action. (4)

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James L. Arrasmith What to do w/lrg physical cash gift from an elderly relative? Legal, banking & IRS implications? Best courses of action. (5) Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›

Answered

  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • Sacramento, CA
  • Licensed inCalifornia

A:Under federal law, large cash gifts are allowed, but be aware of IRS gift tax rules. Banks will report cash deposits over $10,000, so it's wise to notify your bank before making a large deposit. Ensure you have documentation regarding the origin of the gift to address any future inquiries.

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What to do w/lrg physical cash gift from an elderly relative? Legal, banking & IRS implications? Best courses of action. (2024)

FAQs

What to do w/lrg physical cash gift from an elderly relative? Legal, banking & IRS implications? Best courses of action.? ›

A: Under federal law, large cash gifts are allowed, but be aware of IRS gift tax rules. Banks will report cash deposits over $10,000, so it's wise to notify your bank before making a large deposit. Ensure you have documentation regarding the origin of the gift to address any future inquiries.

What can I do with a large cash gift? ›

Here are some ideas to get you started:
  • Set a savings goal. Sometimes the best way to use your cash gifts is to save them. ...
  • Try a no-spend challenge. ...
  • Make saving automatic. ...
  • Take advantage of free services and discount offers.

How do I deposit a large cash gift? ›

You can deposit a large cash inheritance in a savings account, either through a check or direct wire to your bank. The bigger question is what you should do with it once it's deposited.

Do I have to report gifted money as income? ›

Essentially, gifts are neither taxable nor deductible on your tax return.

What do banks do with physical cash? ›

If goes into a counter where it is tracked and then goes into a vault. They banks will make sure that they have enough physical cash to do business at each branch and if they end up with too much or too little physical cash, they'll move the cash between different branches.

What is the largest cash gift you can give someone? ›

The basic gift tax exclusion or exemption is the amount you can give each year to one person and not worry about being taxed. The gift tax exclusion limit for 2023 was $17,000, and for 2024 it's $18,000. That means anything you give under that amount is not taxable and does not have to be reported to the IRS.

Is a large cash gift considered income? ›

A gift is not considered to be income for federal tax purposes.

How big can a cash gift be? ›

The IRS allows every taxpayer is gift up to $18,000 to an individual recipient in one year. There is no limit to the number of recipients you can give a gift to.

How much cash can I deposit in a year without being flagged? ›

Banks must report cash deposits of more than $10,000 to the federal government. The deposit-reporting requirement is designed to combat money laundering and terrorism. Companies and other businesses generally must file an IRS Form 8300 for bank deposits exceeding $10,000.

What is the safest way to deposit large amount of cash? ›

How to Protect Large Deposits over $250,000
  1. Open Accounts at Multiple Banks. ...
  2. Open Accounts with Different Owners. ...
  3. Open Accounts with Trust/POD [pay-on-death] Designations. ...
  4. Open a CD Account, or Money Market Account, with a bank that offers IntraFi (formerly CDARs) services.
Mar 17, 2023

How does the IRS know if you gift money? ›

The primary way the IRS becomes aware of gifts is when you report them on form 709. You are required to report gifts to an individual over $17,000 on this form. This is how the IRS will generally become aware of a gift.

Do I have to report money my parents gave me? ›

At the federal level, assets you receive as a gift are usually not taxable income. However, if the assets generate income in the future (for example, interest, dividends, or rent), such income will almost certainly be taxed.

Can my parents give me $100 000? ›

Can my parents give me $100,000? Your parents can each give you up to $17,000 each in 2023 and it isn't taxed. However, any amount that exceeds that will need to be reported to the IRS by your parents and will count against their lifetime limit of $12.9 million.

What are the disadvantages of physical cash? ›

The disadvantages of cash:
  • Hygiene concerns. Coins and banknotes exchange hands often. ...
  • Risk of loss. Cash can be lost or stolen fairly easily. ...
  • Less convenience. ...
  • More complicated currency exchanges. ...
  • Undeclared money and counterfeiting.
Mar 14, 2024

What should I do with physical cash? ›

1. Pay off high-interest debt with extra cash. It may not be the most exciting option, but the smartest thing you can do with a windfall is to pay off or reduce any high-interest debt you're carrying.

Should you keep physical cash? ›

Key takeaways. Reasons people keep cash at home include emergency preparedness, financial privacy concerns and mistrust of banks. It's a good idea to keep enough cash at home to cover two months' worth of basic necessities, some experts recommend.

Can my parents gift me $30000? ›

Any gifts exceeding $17,000 in a year must be reported and contribute to your lifetime exclusion amount. You can gift up to $12.92 million over your lifetime without paying a gift tax on it (as of 2023). The IRS adjusts the annual exclusion and lifetime exclusion amounts every so often.

Can my parents gift me $100 000? ›

Can my parents give me $100,000? Your parents can each give you up to $17,000 each in 2023 and it isn't taxed. However, any amount that exceeds that will need to be reported to the IRS by your parents and will count against their lifetime limit of $12.9 million.

What happens if you gift more than $10000? ›

For pension purposes, you are allowed to give a total of $10,000 every financial year with a total of $30,000 over five years. Gifts exceeding that will be counted as an asset and subject to deeming under the income test for five years from the date of the gift.

Can I give $100000 as a gift? ›

In the U.S., you do not have to do anything special to avoid taxes on a $100,000 gift. Your son will not pay taxes because the recipient of a gift receives it tax-free. You will have to file an informational gift tax return with the IRS because you gave someone over $17,000 in a year, but no tax is due.

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