Any money gifted over 14K (2016) from an individual is taxable to you or the donor. Which sucks.
If both of your parents are living, they can double it up to 28K. My dad is disbursing 14K a year to my brother and I each, which doesn't suck free and clear from taxes I'll admit, and he doesn't live in a state that collects inheritance tax and the federal exemption line is pretty high, way more than most estates are worth.
Beyond that you probably need to get creative: there are family loans which can be done, just make sure you follow the IRS interest guidelines and do it in writing legal style (can find templates off Nolo and others) for up to 100K if you need the money now and then your parents can basically just pay off the loan for you at the maximum gift annually though to be legal beagal style you might need to shuffle the 14K back and forth (note: some IRS loans have massive restrictions on them on investment income and similar so look into it carefully), I didn't quite get that far when I looked into it. I don't personally know any other tricks for doing what you're suggesting without paying a gnarly tax penalty... anything complicated is probably worth talking to an estate planner.
@tacpoly wrote:
@pipeguy wrote:Tacpoly... You can fight the notion if you want, but the bottom line is that gifts over a certain limit ARE taxable - either by giver or receiver, the IRS really don't care who pays. In addition to "someone is going to pay" should the giver refuse to pay or die, or move to Italy, or whatever then 100% of the "tax" goes on the receiver.
Semantics..... I stand by the posts (including mine) that outline that certain gifts and amounts ARE taxable.
Add: I could offer several examples where "gifts" were given by a boss/relative/etc where neither the gifter or receiver "reports" say a $20k "gift" but kick that up to say $100k which is a bit harder to hide. I'm not talking about CAN it be done (not reported and taxed), I'm saying what the rules are, that's all.
You jumped on and started criticising me without understanding my post to Revelate. I am not fighting the notion that a GIFT TAX may be imposed on gifts over a certain amount -- read my first post on the gift tax! What I am saying is that Revelate is WRONG in stating that the receiver must pay INCOME TAX on the amount above the $14,000 gift tax exclusion. Gifts are not income. I posted a link to the IRS document/regulation that proves my position. Post the regulation that says that gifts (and don't put it in quotes, gifts are specifically defined for tax purposes) are subject to income tax.
This is not semantics and you know it (or maybe you don't). The IRS differentiates between INCOME TAX and GIFT TAX -- for one thing, the rate is different, for another, it's a completely different form that gets filled out.
It would've been helpful to put a little more detail in it than to say it's not taxable 
.
That "traditionally the donor pays" in IRS land, I did miss that verbiage before, somehow, when I looked at this a while back (5ish years ago when I looked at details). Where did you see the tax rate is different if the receiver is paying it though? I'll have to look more.
Either way you have legit points, and I was wrong on some of my information.