Yes, you can gift I bonds to your wife through the TreasuryDirect website, using the "gift box" feature to hold them in your account until you deliver them, which allows you to essentially "gift" more than the normal purchase limit and save on taxes as gifts between spouses are generally tax-free in the US, but remember the gifted bonds count toward her annual purchase limit when delivered, not yours. Both you and your wife need TreasuryDirect accounts for electronic bonds.
Gifting electronic EE or I savings bonds
For electronic savings bonds as gifts, both you and the recipient must have a TreasuryDirect account. TreasuryDirect is the official United States government application in which you can buy and keep savings bonds. You can gift a savings bond to adults or children.
Any amount gifted to your spouse or civil partner is completely tax-exempt.
The strategy works as follows:
You log into your Treasury Direct account and buy $10,000 worth of iBonds as a gift for your spouse. (You have to enter the name and social of the recipient at time of purchase). You can do this even if your spouse has already used up his or her limit for 2022.
Most savings bonds stop earning interest (or reach maturity) between 20 to 30 years. It's possible to redeem a savings bond as soon as one year after it's purchased, but it's usually wise to wait at least five years so you don't lose the last three months of interest when you cash it in.
For electronic savings bonds as gifts, both you and the recipient must have a TreasuryDirect account. TreasuryDirect is the official United States government application in which you can buy and keep savings bonds. You can gift a savings bond to adults or children.
Fill out and send us FS Form 4000 and the bonds. In your TreasuryDirect account, you can: add another person as secondary owner. add or remove a beneficiary.
The IRS lets you avoid paying taxes on interest earned by Series EE and Series I savings bonds when you redeem them if you use the money toward qualified higher education costs for yourself, your spouse, or any of your dependents.
It is the executor's job after a person dies to disclose all lifetime gifts to HMRC, particularly all those made in the last 7 years prior to death. Executors are obliged to research all lifetime gifts made.
Is It Legal to Transfer Money to Your Wife? Yes, you can freely gift any amount of money to your wife without facing gift tax. As per Section 56(2) of the Income Tax Act, gifts received from a spouse are fully exempt from tax in the hands of the recipient.
Typically, you're unable to transfer your bond to someone else. However, if you buy a premium bond for a child under 16, you must nominate a parent or guardian to manage the bond. The provider will then transfer bond management to the child once they turn 16.
The I Bond "Gift Box" Strategy
Though each person can only buy or receive a combined total of $10,000 in I bonds each year in their own name, bonds you buy in someone else's name will remain in your "gift box" until you decide to deliver them.
You can cash in (redeem) your I bond after 12 months. However, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest. For example, if you cash in the bond after 18 months, you get the first 15 months of interest. See Cash in (redeem) an EE or I savings bond.
If only one person is named on the bond and that person has died, the bond belongs to that person's estate. If two people are named on the bond and both have died, the bond belongs to the estate of the one who died last.
I won't keep you in suspense. I Bonds purchased from November 2025 through April 2026 will have a 4.03% annual yield. This is slightly higher than the 3.98% yield that has been in place for the past six months.
Bonds are best for long-term savings, while savings accounts are a better fit for short-term savings.
While money or other assets gifted to spouse is exempt in spouse's hands, it is still taxable in the hands of person gifting it to spouse. Also, the income generated from such gift transferred is taxable in the hands of the transferor.
Can my parents give me $100,000? Your parents can each give you up to $19,000 in 2025 without triggering a gift tax return. However, any amount that exceeds that will need to be reported to the IRS by your parents and will count against their lifetime limit.
4. How much can you give to someone tax-free? In Australia, you can give as much money as you'd like to someone tax-free — there's no specific 'gift tax' for either the giver or the recipient. However, gifting certain assets (like property or shares) can trigger CGT.
We currently sell 2 types of savings bond: Series EE and Series I. You can buy them for yourself, your child, or as a gift for someone else.
I bonds, with their inflation-adjusted return, safeguard the investor's purchasing power during periods of high inflation. On the other hand, EE Bonds offer predictable returns with a fixed-interest rate and a guaranteed doubling of value if held for 20 years.