Year-End Planning: Annual Gifting Rules

Dec 10, 2025

Explore the nuances of annual gifting limits and year-end planning with practical strategies to enhance your giving experience. Discover why gifting during your lifetime can create lasting memories and reduce estate sizes. Learn to tie gifts to specific purposes for greater impact, and find out how gifting appreciated assets can lighten your tax burden. Engage with listener questions that shed light on early retirement planning and the importance of consulting a retirement planner to ensure financial security.

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ADVICE

Use The Annual Gift Exclusion

You can give up to $19,000 (2025) per person per year without reporting or using your lifetime exemption.
Gifts above that require filing Form 709 and apply to your lifetime exclusion, but typically incur no immediate tax.

ADVICE

Give Now To Maximize Impact

Give during your lifetime to remove assets from your estate and potentially reduce future tax exposure.
Prioritize gifts that let you see the impact now, like experiences or targeted support for young adults.

ANECDOTE

Paying For A Family Cruise

Roger and Shauna plan to use part of their exclusion to pay for their adult children to join a Danube cruise to create shared memories.
They prefer experiencing impact now instead of leaving money to heirs who may not value it the same later.

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In this episode, Roger Whitney, a retirement planner with 30 years of experience, breaks down annual gifting limits and year-end planning. He shares practical strategies for giving that make a real impact and create meaningful experiences for loved ones. Roger also answers listener questions, providing clear guidance to help you navigate your retirement with confidence.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

(00:00) This podcast is dedicated to helping you rock retirement.
(00:57) Today Roger talks about annual gifting limits.

RETIREMENT TOOLKIT

(01:45) In today’s Retirement Toolkit, Roger explores year-end planning by breaking down the 2025 annual gift exclusion.
(04:05) Roger discusses giving money during your lifetime and shares the reasons why it can be beneficial.
(12:05) Roger shares his observations on giving money, noting that gifts can feel most meaningful when attached to a specific purpose rather than given with expectations.
(14:21) Strategies for impactful gifting are explored, including transferring appreciated assets, paying medical expenses, and covering tuition directly, showing ways to help others while maximizing meaning and efficiency.

LISTENER QUESTIONS

(19:00) Mary shares feedback on qualified charitable distributions (QCDs).
(21:27) Lee describes his “shoulder bonus” strategy to spend excess retirement funds while staying within a safe withdrawal rate.
(30:10) John asks when to switch from a general financial advisor to a retirement planner
(34:19) Rick asks about gifting appreciated stocks to adult children.
(35:17) Steve asks about building a resilient retirement plan at age 80.

SMART SPRINT

(38:13) In the next seven days: Do you want to give? Can you? How much and to whom? Can it have a purpose? Even small gifts can make a big impact.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

(40:00) Giving money can bring profound joy, often the greatest gift is the one you give yourself by helping others.

REFERENCES