Gifts of Appreciated Securities

Smart gift planning combines charitable intent with cost-efficient planning techniques. Of critical importance is the kind of asset used to fund the gift. Usually, long-term appreciated property can generate the most favorable tax benefits. Reason: Gifts of such property provide a double benefit—a charitable deduction, in most cases, for the full fair-market value of the property—plus avoidance of any potential capital-gain tax.

The chart below illustrates the additional tax savings from a gift of appreciated assets.

Cash Appreciated Property A. Fair-Market Value 10,000 10,000 B. Cost Basis 10,000 4,000 C. Capital Gain 0 6,000 D. Capital-Gain Tax (15%) 0 900 E. Charitable Deduction 10,000 10,000 F. Actual Tax Savings (28%) 2,800 2,800 G. Total Tax Savings (D+F) 2,800 3,700

Please note: Because the federal estate tax has been repealed for 2010, there is no current estate tax in 2010 for the gifts described on this page. However, the consensus opinion among professionals is that Congress will enact an estate-tax law that may be retroactive to January 1, 2010. It is very important that you seek the advice of your estate-planning attorney to determine what changes, if any, need to be made to your existing estate plans, and then again if Congress reinstates the estate tax sometime later this year.
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