Scope sheet
finbryn.com
Estate & Trust
Form 709 gift tax return preparation support
Form 709 gift tax prep support from Finbryn builds the workpapers for a US gift tax return: a running log of gifts by recipient and date, valuation support for non-cash gifts, and current exclusion figures applied for a credentialed signer to review. The 2025 annual exclusion applied per recipient, and Form 709 is due April 15.
What is included
- A log of gifts made during the year, by recipient, date and value
- Valuation support organized for non-cash gifts, coordinated with the donor's appraiser
- The annual exclusion and lifetime exemption amounts confirmed for the specific tax year
- A cumulative lifetime exemption tracker carried forward year over year
- Matched gift-splitting workpapers for married couples electing to split a gift
- A draft Form 709 workpaper package handed to a credentialed signer
- A filing deadline tracked against April 15 of the year following the gift
The process
- 1.
Log gifts by recipient and date
Cash, securities, real estate or business-interest transfers tracked as they happen, or reconstructed from records for a catch-up engagement.
- 2.
Coordinate valuation for non-cash gifts
Requested from the appraiser the donor engages and filed against the specific gift line on the return.
- 3.
Confirm exclusion and exemption figures for the year
Annual exclusion and lifetime basic exclusion amount checked against that specific tax year's IRS guidance, not a prior year's carried-forward figure.
- 4.
Apply gift-splitting where elected
Both spouses' returns built from the same workpaper set so the election is reflected consistently on each.
- 5.
Track cumulative lifetime exemption use
Each year's gifts checked against the running balance of exemption already used, not assumed fresh each year.
- 6.
Route to the credentialed signer
The complete draft, or matched pair for spouses splitting gifts, goes to an enrolled agent or CPA partner for review before filing.
Software
Excel, Drake Tax, UltraTax CS
Pricing
Form 709 support is priced by the number of gifts in the year, whether valuation coordination is needed, and whether gift-splitting applies. See /us/pricing for the tiers estate and trust engagements generally fall under; an ongoing gift-tracking arrangement across several years is typically more cost-effective than a one-time catch-up filing, and your exact fee is confirmed in writing before work starts.
Finbryn is a brand of Northlane Solutions Inc., a Delaware corporation.
Reviewed September 2026