Am I on the hook in taxes for anything over the yearly allowance if I haven't used any of the lifetime allowance? Is there an issue if sending it internationally?
You haven't said whether you gifted or received the gift. But assuming you are the giver... used to be you'd be required to file a form declaring the gift. The excess gift above the "annual gift exclusion" would be accounted for by reducing your "Lifetime Gift and Estate Credit". (Another example of our overly complex tax code. You know, like the "wash sale" rules.)