• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Levine, Furman & Rubin, LLC

East Brunswick Estate Planning Attorneys

Attend a Free Seminar 732-238-6000
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
    • Attorneys and Staff Profiles
    • Communities We Serve
      • Mercer County
      • Monmouth County
        • Freehold Township
      • Middlesex County
        • East Brunswick
        • Edison
        • Monroe Township
        • Old Bridge Township
      • Ocean County
        • Jackson Township
        • Lakewood
    • Founding Attorneys
    • Multimedia
    • News & Events
    • Our Services
    • Speaker Connection
  • how we can help
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Wealth Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Loss of a Loved One
    • Special Needs Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • elder law
    • Caregiver Guidance
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Seminars
  • RESOURCES
    • DocuBank
    • Educational-Alerts
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Estate Planning Articles
      • The Importance of Retirement Planning
      • Reasons to Create a Living Trust
      • What to Include in Your Will
    • Estate Administration Consult Form
    • Newsletters
    • Pre-Consultation Form
    • Reports
    • Special Needs Resources
    • Trust Administration And Probate Resources
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Home » Blog » Teach A Person To Fish: Educatonal Gifts

Teach A Person To Fish: Educatonal Gifts

December 9, 2010 by Roger Levine, Estate Planning Attorney

There is an old saying that goes something like “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.” (Okay, they were sexist in those days, but you get the idea.) When you are engaged in inheritance planning this message is highly relevant. On the one hand planning your estate is all about “giving a person a fish.” On the other hand, when you give the people that you love things that they didn’t have to work for they may never learn now to take care of themselves.

Many people who are interested in estate planning are looking for ways to reduce the taxable value of their estates. Tax-free gift giving is a way to do this, and as we have stated here previously there are exemptions that make this possible. There is the $1 million lifetime gift tax exclusion, but since it is unified with the estate tax exclusion using it is of little value. But there is the $13,000 per person annual gift tax exemption, and there is also an educational gift exemption. You can pay the tuition of as many students as you want to as a gift, equaling any amount of money, totally free of the gift tax. This gift must be made directly to the school and not the student.

So as you can see it would be possible to provide an education for your loved ones before you pass away and “teach them to fish.” It should be noted that the educational gift exemption does not extend to books, fees, and expenses. But you could use your $13,000 per person annual exemption to cover those in part, and if you are married your spouse could do the same. People talk about “family dynasties,” and they come in multiple forms. Providing an open pathway to unlimited higher education for your family and perhaps your extended family is certainly an honorable way to spread the wealth.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Roger Levine, Estate Planning Attorney
Roger Levine, Estate Planning Attorney
Roger N. Levine is a co-founder of the East Brunswick, New Jersey law firm of Levine, Furman & Rubin, LLC.
Roger Levine, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Roger Levine, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • Benefits of Choosing a Nursing Home in Advance - July 5, 2022
  • You Say You Don’t Need An Estate Plan? - June 24, 2022
  • Estate Planning: Have You Provided For Your Pet? - June 20, 2022

Primary Sidebar

Levine, Furman & Rubin, LLC

Levine, Furman & Rubin, LLC

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION

FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

WHERE WE ARE

East Brunswick (Main Office)
F-3 Brier Hill Ct.
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Phone: (732) 238-6000
Fax: (732) 238-6055

MAP

Map

SATELLITE OFFICE

Jackson (Satellite Office)
19 N County Line Road Suite 3
Jackson, NJ 08527
Phone: (732) 238-6000
Fax: (732) 238-6055

OFFICE HOURS

Monday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Footer

Levine, Furman & Rubin, LLC

Levine, Furman & Rubin, LLC

Levine, Furman & Rubin, LLC

East Brunswick (Main Office)
F-3 Brier Hill Ct.
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Phone: (732) 238-6000
Fax: (732) 238-6055

Map/Location

Map

Office Hours

Monday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Jackson (Satellite Office)

19 N County Line Road Suite 3
Jackson, NJ 08527
Phone: (732) 238-6000
Fax: (732) 238-6055
Map

Office Hours

Monday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated
pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This
information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys
© 2023 Levine, Furman & Rubin, LLC. All Rights Reserved.