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A gift in trust is an irrevocable transfer of assets to a trust for the benefit of another person, typically a minor child or grandchild, where a trustee manages the assets according to the trust's terms rather than giving them outright to the beneficiary. The gift qualifies for favorable gift tax treatment while keeping the assets out of the giver's taxable estate. The beneficiary does not have unrestricted access to the funds; the trustee controls distributions according to the trust document, which might specify that funds can only be used for education or distributed at a specific age.
Think of a gift in trust as giving someone a present they cannot open until specific conditions are met, with a trusted guardian controlling the key.
A direct cash gift to a minor is straightforward but creates two problems. First, a minor cannot legally manage significant financial assets, so a court-appointed custodian or guardian must manage the money until the child reaches majority, typically age 18 or 21 depending on the state. Second, once the child reaches majority, they receive the entire amount with no strings attached, regardless of their financial maturity at that time.
A gift in trust solves both problems. You name a trustee to manage the assets immediately and dictate the distribution terms in the trust document. The beneficiary receives funds when and how you specify, not necessarily all at once at age 18.
The annual gift tax exclusion for 2025 is $19,000 per donor per recipient. Gifts within this amount do not require a gift tax return and do not reduce your lifetime exemption. To use this exclusion for gifts made to a trust, the trust must give beneficiaries a "Crummey right," which is a limited right to withdraw the contribution for a short window, typically 30 to 60 days after each contribution. This withdrawal right converts what would otherwise be a future interest gift, which does not qualify for the annual exclusion, into a present interest gift that does.
Without the Crummey right, contributions to a trust are treated as gifts of a future interest and do not qualify for the annual exclusion. You would need to file a gift tax return and reduce your lifetime exemption for every contribution above zero, which defeats one of the primary planning objectives.
Income earned inside a gift trust is taxable. The trust or the beneficiary pays tax on the income depending on whether distributions are made. Trusts reach the top 37% federal income tax bracket at only $15,650 of taxable income in 2025, a much lower threshold than for individuals. This "compressed tax bracket" problem makes accumulating income inside a trust expensive. Distributing income currently to beneficiaries who are in lower tax brackets, or who have enough taxable income to benefit from the brackets below 37%, reduces the total tax paid on trust earnings.
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