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The Daily Insight

Do I pay tax on gift money from parents ATO?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Mar 27, 2026

I can understand your concern, because if you are ever audited by the ATO the question may be asked and the last thing anyone needs is for a genuine gift to be assessed as income. There is no tax on genuine gifts in australia.

Generally you don’t need to report money received as a gift in your tax return if: the money is a gift from a family member for personal reasons. the gift isn’t connected to any income-producing activities by you.

Why is capital receipt not taxable?

Commissioner of Agricultural Income-tax (1970) 78 ITR 58 has held that profit motive to not decisive of the question whether a particular receipt is capital or income. An accretion to capital does not become taxable income merely because an asset is acquired in the hope that it may be sold at a profit.

Do you have to pay taxes on a gift from your parents?

If you recently received a sizable gift from mom and dad, don’t fret. When it comes to gift tax, the IRS generally holds the giver liable. And unless the person is handing over a small fortune, he or she won’t owe any gift taxes either.

Do you have to file a gift tax return?

Depending on the amount, your parents may need to file a gift tax return. If they gave you or any other individual more than $30,000 in 2020 ($15,000 per parent), they need to file some paper work. They generally won’t owe any actual out-of-pocket gift tax bill unless the gifts for the year exceeded their lifetime gift tax exclusion.

What’s the exclusion for gift to a parent?

The IRS basically ignores gifts that don’t breach the annual gift tax exclusion. In 2018, the annual gift tax exclusion stands at $15,000 ($30,000 for married couples filing jointly.) This means your parent can give $15,000 to you and any other person each without triggering a tax.

How much does a parent have to pay in taxes?

Your parent generally won’t owe an actual out-of-pocket tax payment unless gifts for the year him or her beyond the lifetime gift tax exclusion. For tax year 2018, it stands at $11.2 million ($22.4 million if married filing jointly). It rises to $11.4 million in 2019 ($22.8 million if married filing jointly).