The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a specific policy regarding the handling and taxing of estates. The IRS policy on gifts is a simple one. The government agency exempts certain amounts of gifts from taxes. The total amount a person may receive in such estate-related gifts is $1 million during his or her lifetime. In the case of an individual, this amounts to a maximum of $13,000 a year. This amount is raised to $26,000 in the instance of a married couple. If the sum exceeds the designated amount, the IRS institutes a gift tax. This requires the filling in of IRS Form 709. This is the United States Gift (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return.