Estate tax calculator
Estimate what an estate would owe in federal and state estate tax, how much the exemption and portability shelter, and what reaches your heirs.
The estate
Use today's market values. Leave fields at 0 if they do not apply.
Property, accounts, business interests, life insurance you own
Mortgages, loans, unpaid taxes
Executor, legal and probate fees
Unlimited marital deduction; taxed in the survivor's estate later
Only with a portability election on their return
Exemption indexed at 3% after 2026
Federal exemption by year
Legislated through 2026, then indexed for inflation (3% assumed) and rounded to $10,000.
| Year | Per person | Couple with portability |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $15,000,000 | $30,000,000 |
| 2027 | $15,450,000 | $30,900,000 |
| 2030 | $16,880,000 | $33,760,000 |
| 2035 | $19,570,000 | $39,140,000 |
| 2040 | $22,690,000 | $45,380,000 |
State estate taxes
Exemption and top rate in the states that levy one. Figures are the latest published and should be checked for the year of death.
| State | Exemption | Top rate |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $15,000,000 | 12.00% |
| District of Columbia | $4,873,200 | 16.00% |
| Hawaii | $5,490,000 | 20.00% |
| Illinois | $4,000,000 | 16.00% |
| Maine | $7,000,000 | 12.00% |
| Maryland | $5,000,000 | 16.00% |
| Massachusetts | $2,000,000 | 16.00% |
| Minnesota | $3,000,000 | 16.00% |
| New York | $7,160,000 | 16.00% |
| Oregon | $1,000,000 | 16.00% |
| Rhode Island | $1,802,431 | 16.00% |
| Vermont | $5,000,000 | 16.00% |
| Washington | $3,000,000 | 35.00% |
Warren provides educational information, not individualized financial, tax or legal advice. Read our disclaimers.
Estate tax facts worth knowing
Most estates owe nothing federally
Fewer than one in a thousand estates exceed the federal exemption. State estate taxes reach far more families, especially in Oregon, Massachusetts and Washington.
Heirs get a stepped-up basis
Assets in the estate reset their cost basis to the date-of-death value, wiping out capital gains tax on lifetime appreciation. Gifts made during life keep your original basis.
Retirement accounts are taxed twice
A traditional IRA counts in the estate and the heirs also pay income tax on withdrawals within ten years. A deduction for the estate tax paid softens the double hit.
Cliffs and phase-outs
Illinois taxes the whole estate once it crosses the exemption, and New York removes the exemption entirely above 105% of its threshold. Being just over the line can cost far more than the excess.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the federal estate tax exemption for 2026?
- $15,000,000 per person, set by the 2025 tax law and indexed for inflation from 2027. A married couple can shelter $30,000,000 if the survivor elects portability of the first spouse's unused exemption. Only the value above the exemption is taxed, at 40%.
- What counts in the gross estate?
- Everything you own or control at death at its market value: homes and other property, bank and investment accounts, retirement accounts, business interests, and life insurance you own on your own life. Debts, funeral and administration costs, and anything left to a spouse or charity are deducted before tax.
- How does portability work?
- When the first spouse dies, the executor files an estate tax return (Form 706) even if no tax is due, electing to pass the unused exemption to the survivor. The survivor then adds that deceased spousal unused exclusion (DSUE) to their own exemption. Without the election the first exemption is lost.
- Which states have an estate tax?
- Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. Exemptions range from $1,000,000 in Oregon to the federal level in Connecticut, with top rates of 12% to 20% (35% in Washington). Six other states have an inheritance tax paid by the heirs instead, which this calculator does not model.
- How can a family reduce estate tax?
- Annual exclusion gifts ($19,000 per recipient for 2026) and direct payment of tuition and medical bills move money out of the estate tax free. Larger gifts use up exemption during life but freeze growth outside the estate. Irrevocable life insurance trusts, charitable bequests and, in taxable states, credit shelter trusts are common tools. Start with an estate planning attorney in your state.
See your whole estate in one place
Warren AI keeps your net worth ledger current across accounts, property and debts, so you always know where you stand against the exemption.