tax facts GIFT -DUTY

 

Any person making gifts with a total value of over $12,000 in any 12-month period must complete a Gift Statement and forward it to the IRD. Any person who gives gifts of more than $27,000 in a year is liable to pay gift duty.

 

For gift duty purposes, a gift is something given:

  • When nothing is received in return.
  • When something is received in return, but its value is less than the value of the property given.

If something of lesser value is given in return for a gift, the value of the gift, for gift duty purposes, is the difference between the two values.

 

These items can all be gifts:

  • Transfers of any items (for example, company shares or land)
  • Any form of payment
  • Creation of a trust
  • A forgiveness or reduction of debt
  • Allowing a debt to remain outstanding so that it can't be collected by normal legal action
  • The table below outlines the rates of gift duty. For more information on Gift Duty see the IRD website.

 

Value of Gift Duty Payable
0 to $27,000 NIL
$27,001 to $36,000 5% of value over $27,000
$36,001 to $54,000 $450 plus 10% of value over $36,000
$54,001 to $72,000 $2,250 plus 20% of value over $54,000
Over $72,000 $5,850 plus 25% of value over $72,000