For educational purposes only — not tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax laws change frequently. Consult a qualified CPA, Enrolled Agent, or tax attorney for your specific situation.

    Skip to main content
    TaxKilnUS tax guidance
    All Tools
    Sponsorship slot availableSponsor this tool →

    US Federal + State Estate & Inheritance Tax (2026)

    Federal estate tax with the $15M permanent OBBBA exemption and spousal portability (DSUE), the 12 states + DC that impose a separate estate tax (Oregon's $1M threshold is the lowest in the country), and the 6 inheritance-tax states where the bill follows the beneficiary, not the estate.

    Guidance, not advice. This calculator runs the rules as published, it doesn't assess your circumstances. Your actual tax may be affected by factors it doesn't cover (deductions, credits, filing status nuances, state-specific adjustments). Always seek financial or tax advice from a qualified CPA, Enrolled Agent, or tax attorney, or contact the IRS. Read our editorial scope →

    Estate & filing details

    Gross estate, deductions, and the state of domicile that drives the second tax layer.

    Gifts exceeding the annual exclusion — reduces federal exemption.

    Death tax breakdown

    Gross estate$25,000,000
    Deductions (marital + charity + debts)($250,000)
    Taxable estate$24,750,000
    Available federal exemption$15,000,000
    Federal taxable above exemption$9,750,000
    Federal estate tax (40%)$3,900,000
    State estate tax — New York (16.00% top marginal)$3,960,000
    Total death tax$7,860,000
    Effective rate on gross estate31.44%
    Net to beneficiaries$17,140,000
    NY 105% cliff triggered
    Your taxable estate exceeds 105% of New York's $7,160,000 threshold, so the entire estate is subject to state estate tax — the exemption credit is lost. This is the so-called "cliff," and it is why NY estate planners aggressively target the threshold with charitable bequests just before the cliff.

    2026 annual gift exclusion

    Use it or lose it — gifts within the annual exclusion never touch the lifetime exemption.

    Per donee, per year$19,000
    Effective per donee$19,000

    Lifetime exemption is shared with the estate exemption: $15,000,000 per individual ($30M per couple with portability). Made permanent by OBBBA — no TCJA sunset in 2026.

    State layer at a glance

    Lowest threshold: Oregon ($1M). Most aggressive East Coast: Massachusetts ($2M). Highest top rate: Washington (20%). Cliff state: New York (105%).

    Inheritance-tax states (6): IA (phased out), KY, MD, NE, NJ, PA. Spouses are universally exempt; the rate ladder climbs by distance of kinship.