However, proceed with caution. If you are gifting assets to your nephew that have appreciated in value, your gift comes with your basis – the amount you paid for the asset. If your nephew sells the asset, he will owe tax on both your capital gain and any appreciation after the gift. If your nephew inherits the asset, however, he will only owe capital gains tax on the gains that occur after inheriting the assets.
The undetermined fate of the federal estate and gift taxes has the potential to cause the wealthy to make ill-advised gifts. To avoid making one of these ill-advised gifts, and potentially costing you or your loved ones millions of dollars, consult with your estate planning attorney in advance.
