26 U.S.C. § 2513
Section 2513 · Gift by husband or wife to third party
Amended 4 times on record
Applied in 44 court decisions — leading case Dickman v. Commissioner (1984)
Most recently applied in In Re: B. Fiedler, Appeal of: E. Fiedler (January 2016)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
(1) In general
A gift made by one spouse to any person other than his spouse shall, for the purposes of this chapter, be considered as made one-half by him and one-half by his spouse, but only if at the time of the gift each spouse is a citizen or resident of the United States. This paragraph shall not apply with respect to a gift by a spouse of an interest in property if he creates in his spouse a general power of appointment, as defined in section 2514(c), over such interest. For purposes of this section, an individual shall be considered as the spouse of another individual only if he is married to such individual at the time of the gift and does not remarry during the remainder of the calendar year.
(2) Consent of both spouses
Paragraph (1) shall apply only if both spouses have signified (under the regulations provided for in subsection (b)) their consent to the application of paragraph (1) in the case of all such gifts made during the calendar year by either while married to the other.
(1) Manner
A consent under this section shall be signified in such manner as is provided under regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
(2) Time
Such consent may be so signified at any time after the close of the calendar year in which the gift was made, subject to the following limitations—
(A) The consent may not be signified after the 15th day of April following the close of such year, unless before such 15th day no return has been filed for such year by either spouse, in which case the consent may not be signified after a return for such year is filed by either spouse.
(B) The consent may not be signified after a notice of deficiency with respect to the tax for such year has been sent to either spouse in accordance with section 6212(a).
Revocation of a consent previously signified shall be made in such manner as in provided under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, but the right to revoke a consent previously signified with respect to a calendar year—
(1) shall not exist after the 15th day of April following the close of such year if the consent was signified on or before such 15th day; and
(2) shall not exist if the consent was not signified until after such 15th day.
If the consent required by subsection (a)(2) is signified with respect to a gift made in any calendar year, the liability with respect to the entire tax imposed by this chapter of each spouse for such year shall be joint and several.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Amendments
1981—Subsec. (a)(1), (2). Pub. L. 97–34, §442(b)(2)(A), substituted “calendar year” for “calendar quarter”.
Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 97–34, §442(b)(2)(B)–(D), in introductory text, substituted “calendar year” for “calendar quarter”, in subpar. (A), substituted “The consent” for “the consent”, “15th day of April following the close of such year” for “15th day of the second month following the close of such calendar quarter”, and “such year” for “such calendar quarter” in two other places, and in subpar. (B) substituted “The consent” and “such year” for “the consent” and “such calendar quarter”.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 97–34, §442(b)(2)(E), in provision preceding par. (1) substituted “calendar year” for “calendar quarter” and in par. (1) “15th day of April following the close of such year” for “15th day of the second month following the close of such quarter”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–34, §442(b)(2)(F), substituted “any calendar year” and “such year” for “any calendar quarter” and “such calendar quarter”.
1976—Subsecs. (b)(1), (c). Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”.
1970—Subsecs. (a), (b)(2). Pub. L. 91–614, §102(b)(2)(A), substituted “calendar quarter” for “calendar year”.
Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 91–614, §102(b)(2)(B), substituted “the 15th day of the second month” for “the 15th day of April” and substituted “such calendar quarter” for “such year”.
Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 91–614, §102(b)(2)(C), substituted “such calendar quarter” for “such year”.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 91–614, §102(b)(2)(A), substituted “calendar quarter” for “calendar year”.
Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 91–614, §102(b)(2)(D), substituted “15th day of the second month following the close of such calendar quarter” for “15th day of April following the close of such year”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 91–614, §102(b)(2)(A), (E), substituted “calendar quarter” for “calendar year” and “such calendar quarter” for “such year”.
Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 97–34 applicable with respect to gifts made after Dec. 31, 1981, see section 442(e) of Pub. L. 97–34, set out as a note under section 2501 of this title.
Effective Date of 1970 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 91–614 applicable with respect to gifts made after Dec. 31, 1970, see section 102(e) of Pub. L. 91–614, set out as a note under section 2501 of this title.
Cross References
Estate tax credit for gift taxes, see section 2012 of this title.
Gift tax returns—
Generally, see section 6019 of this title.
Time for filing, see section 6075 of this title.