Can you gift an annuity?

[gcgang]

I’ve owned a variable annuity since you could withdraw principal first, about 40 years. I did withdraw the initial investment a long time ago, but the balance has still grown to over $70k.

I won’t need the asset, nor would my heirs.

I’ve named charities of my tax deferred accounts like regular IRAs as beneficiaries, understanding that those assets go out of my estate without any income tax consequence.

I was going to change the beneficiary of the annuity to a charity, avoiding income tax on the balance, but I thought about making the gift during my lifetime.

When I Google this all I get is info on Charitable Gift Annuities, which is not what I want.

Can I just assign ownership to a charity? If so, what are the tax consequences?

 

[gcgang]

https://finance.zacks.com/transfer-ownership-nonqualified-annuity-11540.html

Never mind. I think I found the answer.

You can transfer to a charity, but you have to recognize appreciation as income.

 

[gauss]

^^^ Hmm.. That is surprising. Appreciated Stocks and other securities can be transferred directly to a charity without incurring any taxes. This assumes that the broker transfers them and you do not take possession, however.

I would think that annuities would be treated similarly tax-wise. This all assume that the contract allows the gifting of the annuity by the company, however.

-gauss