Non-Family Members – In some cases, individuals with a close personal relationship may also be able to gift equity. This can include close friends or individuals with a significant personal connection.
Gift tax: A gift of equity could trigger the gift tax, so the seller should follow Internal Revenue Service gift guidelines. For 2024, a married couple can give up to $36,000, and a single person up to $18,000 to an individual per year without being subject to the gift tax.
Gifted equity requirements The letter should be signed by the buyer and the seller. Funds must also be properly documented through financial records. So, be prepared to provide copies of your recent bank statements, your donor's recent bank statements, and copies of cashier's checks.
If your parents sell you their home for $100,000 and it's worth $300,000, their gift of equity equals $200,000, the difference between what they're selling the home for and how much it is actually worth. A gift of equity is valuable.
Use Form 709 to report: Transfers subject to the federal gift and certain generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes. Allocation of the lifetime GST exemption to property transferred during the transferor's lifetime.
The seller must obtain an official home appraisal to ascertain fair market value and also sign a gift letter that describes the buyer-seller relationship and states that the equity is a gift the buyer is not obligated to repay. The buyer must follow the typical process for buying a home.