We ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. We need the information to figure and collect the right amount of tax. Form 709 is used to report (1) transfers subject to the Federal gift and certain generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes and to figure the tax, if any, due on those transfers, and (2) allocation of the lifetime GST exemption to property transferred during the transferor's lifetime.

Our legal right to ask for the information requested on this form is sections 6001, 6011, and 6019, and their regulations. You are required to provide the information requested on this form. Section 6109 requires that you provide your social security number; this is so we know who you are, and can process your Form 709.

Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as stated in section 6103. However, section 6103 allows or requires the Internal Revenue Service to disclose or give such information shown on your Form 709 to the Department of Justice to enforce the tax laws, both civil and criminal, and to cities, states, the District of Columbia, U.S. commonwealths or possessions, and certain foreign governments for use in administering their tax laws. We may also disclose this information to other countries under a tax treaty, or to Federal and state agencies to enforce Federal nontax criminal laws and to combat terrorism.

We may disclose the information on your Form 709 to the Department of the Treasury and contractors for tax administration purposes; and to other persons as necessary to obtain information which we cannot get in any other way for purposes of determining the amount of or to collect the tax you owe. We may disclose the information on your Form 709 to the Comptroller General to review the Internal Revenue Service. We may also disclose the information on your Form 709 to Committees of Congress; Federal, state and local child support agencies; and to other Federal agencies for the purpose of determining entitlement for benefits or the eligibility for, and the repayment of, loans.

If you are required to but do not file a Form 709, or do not provide the information requested on the form, or provide fraudulent information, you may be charged penalties and be subject to criminal prosecution.

You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law.

The time needed to complete and file this form will vary depending on individual circumstances. The estimated average time is:

If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time estimates or suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. You can write to the Tax Products Coordinating Committee, Western Area Distribution Center, Rancho Cordova, CA 95743-0001. Do not send the tax form to this office. Instead, see Where To File on page 4.