[greglepore]

First of all, there isn't a "gift tax" for most normal folks. The annual amount is the amount you can give that doesn't trigger an IRS form 709 report. All that such a report does is provide a record against your lifetime estate tax exclusion amount (14 mil this year, likely rolling back to 5 mil in 2026). The recipient pays no tax either way. The tax, if any, is the donor's, and only as part of his estate if he exceeds the lifetime limit.

All that this does is prevent rich folks from giving stuff away just before death to avoid estate tax.

"Stucturing" payments to evade the 10k bank reporting limit is a crime and the dumbest idea of the century given the above.