Normally a person can give up to the annual exclusion amount $13000 for 2009 to a person, every year ($ 26000 in 2009 if spouses joins in for the gift) without facing any gift taxes and note that such amounts do not count as part of your $1,000,000 lifetime total.
Further, IRS allows a person to give up to $1,000,000 in gifts, total, in their lifetime, before they start owing the gift tax. (This gift is not per (donee)person but its a per donor limit). So you can make gifts that are worth up to a $1,000,000 during your lifetime without paying the gift tax. . Even if you do not owe a gift tax because you have not reached the $1,000,000 limit, you are still required to file gift tax return if you made a gift that does not qualify as excludable.