How Much Will Estate Taxes Take From Your Estate?
How much will estate taxes take?
⚠️ TCJA Planning Window — Act Before December 31, 2025
The current $13.61M federal exemption (doubled under TCJA) is scheduled to sunset to ~$7M after 2025 unless Congress acts. If your estate could be affected, consult an estate attorney before year-end to lock in gifts at the current exemption.
Estate Tax Calculator
Federal + State · 2024 vs 2026 Sunset · Gifting Scenarios · State Comparison
Results update in real time as you adjust any input.
Estate Details
All assets: real estate, investments, business interests, life insurance
Unlimited for U.S. citizen spouse
Doubles federal exemption to $27,220,000 (2024)
Related Calculators
RMD Calculator
How much must you withdraw from retirement?
Financial Independence Calculator
How far are you from never needing to work again?
When Can You Retire Calculator
At what age can you actually afford to stop working?
Retirement Readiness Score
Will your savings actually last through retirement?
Financial Freedom Age
What age can you stop working for money?
Annuity Payout Calculator
How much income will your annuity pay?
Get this result by email
We'll send you this summary so you can revisit it anytime — useful when making a final decision.
🔒 We'll only send your result. No spam, no noise.
The federal estate tax is often called the "death tax," but for most Americans it's a non-issue — the 2024 exemption is $13.61 million per individual ($27.22 million for married couples using portability). Only estates above these thresholds owe federal estate tax. However, if your estate could approach these levels — or if you live in one of the 12 states with their own estate taxes at much lower thresholds — planning now can save your heirs hundreds of thousands of dollars. States like Oregon and Massachusetts tax estates over just $1 million. There's also an urgent planning window right now: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provisions that doubled the exemption are set to sunset after December 31, 2025. If Congress doesn't act, the exemption reverts to roughly $7 million (inflation-adjusted) in 2026 — cutting the threshold nearly in half and suddenly exposing many more estates to federal tax. This calculator estimates your federal and state estate tax exposure, models the difference between current law and the 2026 sunset scenario, and shows how strategies like marital deductions and charitable giving reduce your taxable estate. Use it to have an informed conversation with your estate attorney before the window closes.
- →Estimating whether your estate will owe federal or state estate taxes
- →Modeling how the 2025 TCJA sunset could affect your estate tax bill after 2025
- →Calculating how much a marital deduction or charitable gift reduces your taxable estate
- →Comparing estate tax exposure across states if you're considering relocating
- →Preparing for an estate planning meeting with an attorney or financial advisor
Robert and Linda, both 68, have a combined estate of $22 million — their home, investment accounts, and a small business. Under 2024 law with portability, their combined exemption is $27.22M and they owe no federal estate tax. But if TCJA sunsets in 2026, their combined exemption drops to roughly $14M, leaving $8M exposed to the 40% estate tax rate — a potential bill of $3.2 million. Their attorney recommends making large gifts now while the higher exemption still applies.
What is the 2024 federal estate tax exemption?
The 2024 federal estate tax exemption is $13.61 million per individual, or $27.22 million for married couples using portability. Amounts above this threshold are taxed at rates up to 40%.
What happens to the estate tax exemption in 2026?
The TCJA doubled the exemption in 2018. If Congress doesn't extend it, the exemption reverts to approximately $7 million (inflation-adjusted) on January 1, 2026. This could expose many more estates to federal estate tax.
Do all states have an estate tax?
No. Only about 12 states plus Washington D.C. impose estate taxes. Oregon and Massachusetts have the lowest thresholds at $1 million. States like Texas, Florida, and California have no estate tax.
What is the marital deduction?
The unlimited marital deduction allows you to transfer any amount to a U.S. citizen spouse completely free of estate tax. However, it defers the tax — the surviving spouse's estate may owe tax later unless planning is done.
How can I reduce estate taxes?
Common strategies include gifting assets now (using the annual $18,000 per-person gift exclusion or lifetime exemption), charitable bequests, irrevocable trusts, and life insurance held in an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT).