Estate Tax Calculator
Estimate 2026 federal estate tax using the $7M exemption after the TCJA sunset. Includes state estate tax, marital deduction, gifting strategies, and portability.
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Federal Estate Tax
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Adjusted Gross Estate —
Taxable Estate —
Effective Tax Rate —
Net Estate to Heirs —
Extended More scenarios, charts & detailed breakdown ▾
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Taxable Estate
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Federal Estate Tax —
Effective Rate —
Net to Heirs —
Professional Full parameters & maximum detail ▾
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Estate Summary
Adjusted Gross Estate —
Taxable Estate (Federal) —
Federal Exemption Applied —
Tax Owed
Federal Estate Tax —
State Estate Tax —
Total Estate Tax —
Effective Total Rate —
Net to Heirs
Net Estate to Heirs —
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the Gross Estate Value — total fair market value of all assets.
- Enter Debts & Liabilities — mortgages, loans, and other obligations.
- Enter Funeral & Admin Expenses — these reduce the taxable estate.
- The calculator applies the 2026 federal exemption (~$7M) and progressive brackets up to 40%.
- Use With State Tax tab to add state estate tax, and Planning to model gifting strategies.
Formula
Taxable Estate = Gross Estate − Debts − Admin Expenses − Marital/Charitable Deductions − Exemption
Estate Tax = Progressive brackets 18%–40% on taxable amount
2026 Exemption ≈ $7,000,000 per person (post-TCJA sunset)
Example
Example: $12M estate, $1M debts, $100K admin expenses, no marital deduction.
- Adjusted Estate: $10,900,000
- Less Exemption: $7,000,000
- Taxable Estate: $3,900,000 → Estate Tax ≈ $1,568,800
- Effective Rate: ~14.4% | Net to Heirs: ~$9,331,200
Frequently Asked Questions
- In 2026, the TCJA doubled exemption sunsets and the exemption reverts to approximately $7 million per person (inflation-adjusted from the pre-2018 $5.49M base). Married couples can effectively double this with a portability election, providing roughly $14M combined.
- Federal estate tax uses progressive brackets from 18% to 40%. The top rate of 40% applies to taxable estate amounts over $1 million above the exemption. Only the amount exceeding the exemption is taxed.
- Assets transferred to a US citizen spouse are 100% exempt from estate tax, regardless of amount. This defers — but does not eliminate — the tax until the surviving spouse's death, unless portability or other planning is used.
- You can give up to $18,000 per recipient per year (2024–2025) without using your lifetime exemption. This removes assets from your estate without touching the unified credit. With multiple beneficiaries over many years, millions can be transferred tax-free.
- Portability allows a surviving spouse to use the deceased spouse's unused federal exemption by filing an estate tax return within 9 months of death (or up to 5 years with IRS relief). This can effectively double the estate tax exemption for married couples.
Related Calculators
Sources & References (5) ▾
- IRS — Estate Tax Overview — Internal Revenue Service
- IRS — Form 706: United States Estate Tax Return — Internal Revenue Service
- Tax Foundation — Federal Estate Tax — Tax Foundation
- IRS — Estate and Gift Tax Exemptions (What's New) — Internal Revenue Service
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) — ACTEC Foundation