[gizmo686]

I don't know about other countries, but this is one area where the US tax code makes sense. Gifts beyond a certain value ($15,000/recipient-year) are reported. You then have an $11.5M lifetime exception for paying taxes on further gifts (2020 number). When your estate goes to pay the estate tax, it also has the same exemption as the lifetime gift tax, and anything you filed against the lifetime gift tax exception is deducted from what you are allowed to claim against the estate tax exemption. In other words, the only (federal) tax benefit gift giving can provide is $15,000/recipient annual exemption, which is inherently limited.