How to file gift tax return (Form 709) if I don't know names of gift recipients?

This is an interesting situation. When you donate to a qualified charity, that's generally considered a charitable donation (not a gift) and would be reported differently than gifts to individuals. If you actually made gifts to specific individuals (even anonymously) through a charity acting as an intermediary, then technically those are still considered gifts to those individuals. However, the IRS recognizes there are situations where donor information might be incomplete. In your case, I would recommend providing as much information as you possibly can on Schedule A. Include the charity's name and explain in the description that these were anonymous gifts to individuals facilitated by the charity. Note the date, amount, and charity information. Then in the address/recipient section, you could write "Unknown - Anonymous donation through [Charity Name]." The key is showing good faith effort to comply with reporting requirements while being transparent about the limitations of your knowledge. The IRS generally wants documentation of the gift transfer more than anything else.

I struggled with a similar gift tax situation last year when I was helping distribute funds from my grandfather's estate to distant relatives we'd lost touch with. I finally found a solution using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helps analyze your specific tax documents and situation. Their system was able to review my Form 709 draft and show me exactly how to handle the "unknown recipient" problem. They have specific guidance for unusual gift tax situations that I couldn't find anywhere else. The best part is they explained how to document everything properly to avoid raising red flags with the IRS. Saved me from potentially making a costly mistake on the gift tax return!

Update on my gift tax situation - I decided to try taxr.ai after my earlier skepticism, and I'm actually really impressed. They helped me determine that for my specific "anonymous recipient" gifts, I needed to file a statement of explanation with my Form 709. Their system analyzed my draft form and identified exactly which fields I was filling out incorrectly. They showed me how to properly document my situation with the community fundraiser where I made anonymous donations. The guidance was super clear with screenshots showing exactly where to include notes about the unknown recipients. Much more helpful than the generic advice I found online! Definitely reduced my anxiety about getting audited over this issue.

I had a similar issue last year with a gift tax return that had missing recipient information. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS for guidance. Their phone lines were constantly busy, and when I finally got through after hours on hold, I got disconnected. I finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an actual IRS agent. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Their system gets you to the front of the IRS phone queue so you don't waste your life on hold. The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed I could file Form 709 with a detailed explanation letter about why the recipient information was unavailable. They said as long as I documented my good faith effort to get the information, I wouldn't face penalties for incomplete recipient details.

I want to publicly admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After dismissing it as a scam, I was desperate with my own gift tax question (similar to the original poster's situation with unknown recipients), so I gave it a shot. Within 27 minutes I was talking to an actual IRS agent specialized in gift taxes. She explained I could file Form 709 with a written statement attached explaining why I couldn't provide complete information about gift recipients. She confirmed that as long as I showed reasonable effort to comply, I wouldn't face penalties for the missing details. Would have taken me days of redailing to get this information on my own. Sometimes being proven wrong is actually a good thing!

Something nobody has mentioned yet - check if your gifts actually qualify as qualified transfers for educational or medical expenses. Those are unlimited and don't count toward the annual exclusion limit. I thought I needed to file a gift tax return last year for helping my neighbor's kid with college, but it turned out that since I paid the university directly for tuition, it was an unlimited qualified transfer. Saved me from having to file Form 709 altogether!

Has anyone successfully e-filed a Form 709 with missing donor information? The IRS website isn't clear if e-filing is even possible with attachments explaining special circumstances.

I dealt with a very similar situation last year when I made large anonymous donations through a local food bank. After consulting with a tax attorney, here's what I learned: The key distinction is whether you made gifts to specific individuals or charitable contributions to an organization. If the charity distributed your money to specific families (even anonymously), those are technically gifts to individuals and require Form 709 if over the exclusion amount. For Schedule A, I recommend: 1. List the charity's name and address in the "Donee's name and address" section 2. In the description field, write something like "Anonymous gifts to individuals facilitated by [Charity Name] - recipient identities unknown" 3. Include the total amount and date of transfer 4. Attach a statement explaining the circumstances and your good faith efforts to obtain recipient information The IRS Publication 559 actually addresses situations where complete information isn't available. As long as you document what you know and explain why certain information is missing, you should be compliant. The important thing is showing transparency and good faith effort to follow the reporting requirements. Don't leave fields completely blank - always provide what information you have and explain the limitations.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Made some large anonymous donations through a community fundraiser last year and just realized I crossed the gift tax threshold. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. One thing I want to add based on my research - make sure you're clear on the timing requirements. Form 709 is due by April 15th (or October 15th with extension) of the year AFTER you made the gifts, not the year you made them. So gifts made in 2024 require filing Form 709 by April 15, 2025. Also, even if you can't identify the specific recipients, you still need to report the total value of gifts that exceeded the annual exclusion. The annual exclusion for 2024 was $18,000 per recipient, and it's $19,000 for 2025. If you made multiple anonymous gifts through the same organization, each unknown recipient still gets their own $18,000/$19,000 exclusion. I'm planning to follow the advice here about including the facilitating organization's information and attaching an explanation statement. It's reassuring to hear from others who've successfully navigated this exact situation without issues from the IRS.