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Message:: [QUOTE="KBBPLL, post: 25466403, member: 104064"]It's surprising how many people are confused about this, probably because of politicians, and believe there is a "gift tax." There is no tax on the giver until the giver's total gifts exceed the lifetime exclusion amount, which is currently $13.61 million or $27.22 million for a married couple, and there is never a tax on the recipient no matter how large the gift is. Even over $18k the recipient doesn't have to report it, but the giver does, and it just gets subtracted from their lifetime exclusion. People get all worked up about this supposed "gift tax" and it's sibling the "death tax", when in reality nobody needs to even think about it unless your estate is worth over $13.61/27.22 million. I dislike tipping culture in general, and if you travel overseas the US is pretty much the only country that does it. I much prefer a tip jar over that stupid screen they flip around with tips already calculated to pressure you into tipping. I tip generously for sit down service, but not so much for someone to hand me a coffee over the counter. For me there's no expectation of better service, because every time I go somewhere there are new employees. I may be sporadically frequenting a business for 20-30 years and nobody there knows that I'm a "regular." But I waited tables and bartended for several years in my youth, and I know how hard it is, so it's not a "reward", it's their salary. Which is a bizarre concept.[/QUOTE]