Q. Why does the IRS say that if I give a one time gift of over $15,000, I'm responsible for filling out and submitting Form 709, when there is no tax?
"Gift Tax" is somewhat of a misnomer. Even though a gift tax return may be required, very few people ever actually pay federal gift tax. The purpose of the gift tax return is usually only to document a reduction in the allowable estate tax exemption.
See https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Tax-Planning-and-Checklists/The-Gift-Tax-Made-Simple/....
