Question

Gordon purchased real estate for $900,000 and listed title to the property as "Gordon and Fawn, joint tenants with right of survivorship." Gordon predeceases Fawn when the real estate is worth $2,900,000. Gordon and Fawn are brother and sister.

What are the gift and estate tax consequences?
If an amount is zero, enter "0".
a. Gordon made a gift when the real estate was purchased of $_____ to Fawn.
b. Gordon's estate must include $______ as to the property.
c. How would the estate tax consequences change if it was Fawn (not Gordon) who died?
Fawn's estate would include $___0___ as to the property.

Answer 1

a. Gordon made a gift when the real estate was purchased of $450,000 to Fawn.

Since Gordon gave 50% of the real estate to his sister as a gift when he purchased it, the gift must be valued at the time it happened ($900,000 x 50%)

b. Gordon's estate must include $2,900,000 as to the property.

Gordon purchased all the real estate by himself, so his estate must include the value of the whole property.

c. How would the estate tax consequences change if it was Fawn (not Gordon) who died?

Fawn's estate would include $0 as to the property.

Since Fawn didn't buy the property, her estate cannot include any amount of it.