The Trump administration has been quietly discussing a plan that would let wealthy donors contribute appreciated company stock to Trump Accounts — sidestepping capital gains taxes while claiming full charitable deductions at market value. The proposal, which mirrors existing rules for stock gifts to nonprofits, could channel billions from ultra-wealthy founders into the newly created savings program for American children.
How Trump Accounts work
Trump Accounts were created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Every U.S. child born between 2025 and 2028 gets a $1,000 Treasury seed deposit. Parents can contribute up to $5,000 per year in post-tax dollars. Robinhood handles the brokerage, and BNY Mellon serves as the initial trustee. The funds are invested in diversified U.S. equity index funds and partially unlocked when the child turns 18. Cash contributions officially open on July 4, 2026.
Some families are already getting a head start. In December 2025, Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion to seed $250 deposits for roughly 25 million children in lower-income ZIP codes. Ray Dalio, BlackRock, Uber, Robinhood, and Charles Schwab have committed state-level or employer-matched contributions.
The stock donation proposal
Brad Gerstner of Altimeter Capital is the lead advocate for allowing appreciated stock into Trump Accounts. Under current law, someone who donates stock to a charity avoids paying capital gains tax on the appreciation and can deduct the full fair market value. Gerstner wants the same treatment for stock contributed to Trump Accounts.
That double tax benefit could attract billions from founders and early investors sitting on low-basis shares. The NYU Tax Law Center describes the plan as an expansion of philanthropy deductions already used by ultra-wealthy donors. But unlike a gift to a museum or a university, a Trump Account deposit goes into a diversified index fund for a specific child — not a general charitable mission.
Any expansion to allow stock donations would require new legislation. Neither the Treasury nor the White House has publicly confirmed the talks. A spokesperson for the White House declined to comment on the record, and the Treasury did not respond to a request for confirmation.
Philanthropy or tax loophole?
Supporters frame the proposal as a way to turbocharge savings for the next generation. Critics see it as a tax shelter dressed up as charity. The NYU Tax Law Center has pointed out that the current charitable deduction system already allows wealthy donors to reduce their tax bills significantly. Adding Trump Accounts to that mix could mean the government loses tax revenue on billions in appreciated assets — revenue that would otherwise fund other programs.
No official cost estimate has been published. The Congressional Budget Office has not scored a stock-donation provision because no bill has been introduced. The Trump administration has not included the idea in any public budget document.
What comes next
Cash contributions to Trump Accounts open July 4, 2026. If the stock donation proposal moves forward, it would need to be introduced as legislation and pass both chambers. The administration has not set a deadline for deciding whether to push the idea. For now, wealthy donors considering a Trump Account contribution have only one option: write a check after the July 4 launch date.
