26 CFR § 25.6019-1 - Persons required to file returns.
(a) Gifts made after December 31, 1981. Subject to section 2523(i)(2), an individual citizen or resident of the United States who in any calendar year beginning after December 31, 1981, makes any transfer by gift other than a transfer that, under section 2503 (b) or (e) (relating, respectively, to certain gifts of $10,000 per donee and the exclusion for payment of certain educational and medical expenses), is not included in the total amount of gifts for that year, or a transfer of an interest with respect to which a marital deduction is allowed for the value of the entire interest under section 2523 (other than a marital deduction allowed by reason of section 2523(f), regarding qualified terminable interest property for which a return must be filed in order to make the election under that section), must file a gift tax return on Form 709 for that calendar year.
(b) Gifts made after December 31, 1976, and before January 1, 1982. An individual citizen or resident of the United States who makes a transfer by gift within any calendar year beginning after December 31, 1976, and before January 1, 1982, must file a gift tax return on Form 709 for any calendar quarter in which the sum of the taxable gifts made during that calendar quarter, plus all other taxable gifts made during the year (for which a return has not yet been required to be filed), exceeds $25,000. If the aggregate transfers made in a calendar year after 1976 and before 1982 that must be reported do not exceed $25,000, only one return must be filed for the calendar year and it must be filed by the due date for a fourth quarter gift tax return (April 15).
(c) Gifts made after December 31, 1970, and before January 1, 1977. An individual citizen or resident of the United States who makes a transfer by gift within any calendar year beginning after December 31, 1970, and before January 1, 1977, must file a gift tax return on Form 709 for the calendar quarter in which any portion of the value of the gift, or any portion of the sum of the values of the gifts to such donee during that calendar year, is not excluded from the total amount of taxable gifts for that year, and must also make a return for any subsequent quarter within the same taxable year in which any additional gift is made to the same donee.
(d) Gifts by nonresident alien donors. The rules contained in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section also apply to a nonresident not a citizen of the United States provided that, under section 2501(a)(1) and § 25.2511–3, the transfer is subject to the gift tax.
(e) Miscellaneous provisions. Only individuals are required to file returns and not trusts, estates, partnerships, or corporations. Duplicate copies of the return are not required to be filed. See §§ 25.6075–1 and 25.6091–1 for the time and place for filing the gift tax return. For delinquency penalties for failure to file or pay the tax, see section 6651 and § 301.6651–1 of this chapter (Procedure and Administration Regulations). For criminal penalties for failure to file a return and filing a false or fraudulent return, see sections 7203, 7206, and 7207.
(f) Return required even if no tax due. The return is required even though, because of the deduction authorized by section 2522 (charitable deduction) or the unified credit under section 2505, no tax may be payable on the transfer.
(g) Deceased donor. If the donor dies before filing his return, the executor or administrator of his estate shall file the return. If the donor becomes legally incompetent before filing his return, his guardian or committee shall file the return.
(h) Ratification of return. The return shall not be made by an agent unless by reason of illness, absence, or nonresidence, the person liable for the return is unable to make it within the time prescribed. Mere convenience is not sufficient reason for authorizing an agent to make the return. If by reason of illness, absence or nonresidence, a return is made by an agent, the return must be ratified by the donor or other person liable for its filing within a reasonable time after such person becomes able to do so. If the return filed by the agent is not so ratified, it will not be considered the return required by the statute. Supplemental data may be submitted at the time of ratification. The ratification may be in the form of a statement, executed under the penalties of perjury and filed with the internal revenue officer with whom the return was filed, showing specifically that the return made by the agent has been carefully examined and that the person signing ratifies the return as the donor's. If a return is signed by an agent, a statement fully explaining the inability of the donor must accompany the return.