Haggar, I love it when your CPA-self stops by to rescue us from ourselves. I was hoping you would show up. Thank you.

An extra thank you for taking up for us tax-planning types.

As you well know, there are buy-and-hold, long-term investors who could be thinking about selling or gifting a few shares because their favorite individually held stock(s) just hit an all-time high. If they are paying attention, this should be on their minds.

The October Kiplinger has an article touted on the cover as "How Much of Your Savings Can You Afford to Give?" The article says to be sure to take care of yourself first, but then goes into several ways to handle gifting. (I know you already know this stuff, of course, but I am throwing it in here in case anyone reading this post might want to find the article.)

The other issue is considering selling and keeping it all for yourself -- except for that pesky cap gain tax. Gauging potential tax-bracket changes and/or a hit from IRMAA means tax-planning so no surprises.

Not terrible problems to have but certainly a reason to plan -- and to talk to an accountant.

Boomer

Following the detour to tax planning taken by a handful of posters I have been reviewing my portfolios to see if some securities might be sold because I view it as advantageous to take LTCGs in 2024 rather than in 2025. Why? Because tax rates will be going up, maybe up, up, up. The writing is on the wall and I find it from at minimum confiscatorily scary to potentially terrifying.

Having for business associates aging out reasons fortuitously taken huge (for me) LTCGs in 2022 and 2023 I had hoped to coast this year, but...

On a new detour I added $18K to each grandchild's 529 plan, maxing out my gift tax exclusions to them this year. I plan on doing it again early in 2025 as I believe the estate tax exclusion is in danger of being dramatically reduced. How to Prepare for Upcoming Estate Tax Law Changes | Kiplinger

I am also considering setting up Crummey trusts for my children and other beneficiaries. Crummey Trust: Definition, Purpose, How It Works, and History.

Yes, but it's so much fun to read spin-off arguments that have nothing to do with the OP.
Hang on, my popcorn is burning.

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I am quite a few million away from having to be concerned.

It can change at any time. I remember a few years ago when the lifetime exclusion was only $1 million.

In that case, if the exclusion is unknowable, then there is no reason to be concerned at all.

"History of Federal Estate Tax Laws
The landmark Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 called for a gradual increase in the estate exemption from $600,000 in 1997 to $1 million by 2006.5 This set the stage for greater increases in years to come.

Estate taxes from 2010 through 2012 were based on the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act that was signed into law by President Obama on Dec. 17, 2010, but the law was only good for two years. It was supposed to expire on Dec. 31, 2012, so the federal estate tax exemption and rate would have defaulted to the previous number that was in effect.6

This didn't happen. Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) on Jan. 1, 2013, and President Obama signed it into law on Jan. 2, 2013. ATRA was intended to make permanent changes to the laws governing federal estate taxes, gift taxes, and generation-skipping transfer taxes.7

Fast-forward to President Trump, who signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December 2017. The exemption had been only $5.49 million in 2017. The TCJA more than doubled that to $11.18 in 2018.8

Tax Exemptions and Rates Over the Years
Here's how the estate tax has been assessed down over the years:9

YEAR ESTATE TAX EXEMPTION TOP ESTATE TAX RATE
1997 $600,000 55%
1998 $625,000 55%
1999 $650,000 55%
2000 $675,000 55%
2001 $675,000 55%
2002 $1,000,000 50%
2003 $1,000,000 49%
2004 $1,500,000 48%
2005 $1,500,000 47%
2006 $2,000,000 46%
2007 $2,000,000 45%
2008 $2,000,000 45%
2009 $3,500,000 45%
2010 $5,000,000 or $0 35% or 0%
2011 $5,000,000 35%
2012 $5,120,000 35%
2013 $5,250,000 40%
2014 $5,340,000 40%
2015 $5,430,000 40%
2016 $5,450,000 40%
2017 $5,490,000 40%
2018 $11,180,000 40%
2019 $11,400,000 40%
2020 $11,580,000 40%
2021 $11,700,000 40%
2022 $12,060,000 40%
The heirs of decedents who died in 2010 had a choice. They could use the $5 million estate exemption at the 35% estate tax rate, or they could elect to use the $0 estate tax exemption at a 0% tax rate, coupling the use of modified carryover basis rules.10

The Exemption Can Decrease After 2025
The TCJA is not permanent. It is slated to expire after 2025, and the exemption amount can revert to its pre-2018 level at that time unless Congress acts to renew the legislation or even some of its provisions."

From: How the Federal Estate Tax Exemption Changed from 1997 to Today

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Note that lifetime gifting, while you are alive, of $18,000 each per year to as many people as you want will reduce your lifetime exclusion. So, even a billionaire can totally eliminate their Federal estate tax by gifting.