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What to Do with the 2025 Increase to the Lifetime Estate & Gift Tax Exemption

A woman calculating her taxes.

The IRS recently announced that the increase to the lifetime exemption in 2025 will be $380,000 per person, which represents a 2.79% increase from the 2024 total of $13,610,000. In 2025 the lifetime exemption will be $13,990,000.

Do you have clients who have already utilized their full lifetime exemption in 2024? Here is a simple strategy for them to implement using the 2025 increase.

Assume that a couple has a combined $760,000 available to gift in 2025 ($380,000 each). They make a gift to an ILIT and use the full amount as a single pay premium on a second to die life insurance policy guaranteed to age 100, assuming standard non smoker ratings.

Ages

Single Premium

Second to Die Death Benefit Guaranteed to Age 100

IRR at Age 90

40% Income Tax Adjusted IRR at Age 90

Current US Treasury Yields as of 10/31/2024

50/50

760,000

4,900,000

5.16%

8.60%

4.50% - 30 Year

60/60

760,000

3,300,000

5.59%

9.32%

4.50% - 30 Year

70/70

760,000

1,900,000

5.28%

8.80%

4.66% - 20 Year

80/80

760,000

1,200,000

5.03%

8.38%

4.28% - 10 Year

At all ages, the internal rate of return from the life insurance exceeds the current U.S. Treasury yield of a similar duration. This is a great solution for leveraging the additional gifting exemption that will be provided to clients in 2025 in a tax efficient manner.

*Note that a single pay will MEC the contract. A 5-pay could be used which would provide a slightly lower death benefit, and lower IRR, but in most cases still exceeds current treasury rates.

If you have any questions, please contact your PartnersFinancial Advanced Sales team.

Tim McFarland
Tim McFarland VP, Advanced Sales
Laura Brown
Laura Brown, CPA, PFS Vice President, Advanced Sales
https://www.partnersfinancial.com/insights/increase-to-the-lifetime-estate-and-gift-tax-exemption/
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