Estimate federal and state estate tax for 2025, with deduction and lifetime gift tracking.
This calculator provides simplified estimates only. Federal estate tax uses a flat 40% rate above exemption (actual rates are progressive 18-40%). State rates are simplified to maximum rates. Inheritance tax varies by heir relationship. This is not legal or tax advice — consult an estate planning attorney.
The federal estate tax is a transfer tax on the right to pass wealth at death. Under the OBBBA (P.L. 119-21), the 2026 federal exemption is permanently set at $15 million per person — married couples can shelter up to $30 million, partly through portability of the unused exemption. Only the portion of your taxable estate above the exemption is taxed, and because the unified credit effectively wipes out the lower brackets of IRC §2001(c), the net rate on that excess is a flat 40%. Lifetime taxable gifts reduce the exemption you have left, while charitable and marital bequests reduce the estate itself. A dozen states layer on their own estate or inheritance tax — Connecticut, for example, taxes estates above $15 million at up to 12%. For the vast majority of estates the exemption means no federal tax at all; it matters only for larger estates and for state-level planning.
Sample: a single filer in Connecticut with an $18M estate, $1M of lifetime gifts already used, and a $1M charitable bequest. Federal exemption $14M (after gifts); CT taxes the amount above its own $15M exemption at 12%.
Elena is a widow living in Connecticut (single filing status). Her estate is worth $18M, she already used $1M of her exemption on lifetime gifts, and she leaves a $1M charitable bequest. Connecticut taxes estates above $15M at up to 12%.
To estimate estate tax: enter the total estate value — the tool calculates federal estate tax (40% above $13.61M exemption in 2026) plus applicable state estate taxes.
FreeToolHub Estate Tax Calculator is a free browser-based tool that estimates federal and state estate taxes, no signup, no upload.
Calculate federal and state estate or inheritance tax with 2026 exemption thresholds. Free, instant, no signup. Covers all 50 states.
The Estate & Inheritance Tax Calculator estimates the federal and state tax owed when an estate passes to heirs. Enter total estate value—real estate, investments, retirement accounts, business interests, and personal property—plus filing status, state of residence, lifetime gifts already made, and charitable and marital deductions. Federal tax applies above a $13,610,000 exemption for single filers, doubled for a surviving spouse through portability, with a progressive rate schedule running from 18% to 40% on the excess. The tool also covers 17 jurisdictions with their own estate or inheritance levies, from Oregon's $1,000,000 exemption to New York's $6,940,000. Results show total tax, effective rate, and net amount to heirs.
High-net-worth families use it to see whether an estate clears the federal exemption or needs planning. Executors estimating liquidity before probate check whether cash on hand covers the tax bill, since many estates are asset-rich. Retirees in the 17 states with lower thresholds—Oregon at $1,000,000 or Massachusetts at $2,000,000—may owe state tax even with zero federal exposure, and this tool flags that gap. Givers tracking lifetime gifts against their exemption see how much remains. Attorneys and advisors use it as a client-facing illustration, and adult children of aging parents model marital and charitable bequests before meeting a professional.
(1) Deductions come off first: charitable bequests and transfers to a US-citizen spouse reduce the gross estate before any tax math, since both are deductible in unlimited amounts. (2) The available federal exemption equals $13,610,000 (doubled for married filing) minus lifetime gifts already made, and the excess of gross estate over that exemption runs through the progressive 18%–40% federal schedule. (3) State tax is layered on using each state's exemption and top rate—inheritance states such as Nebraska and Kentucky apply their rate to the estate directly—and the summary reports total tax, effective rate, and the net remaining for heirs.
Seventeen jurisdictions add a state-level layer: twelve estate-tax states plus the District of Columbia, four inheritance-tax states, and Maryland doing both. Estate states include Oregon with the lowest threshold at $1,000,000, Massachusetts at $2,000,000, Washington at $2,193,000, and New York at $6,940,000, with top rates from 12% in Maine and Massachusetts to 20% in Washington and Hawaii. Nebraska, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Iowa instead tax the beneficiary through inheritance tax, simplified here as a flat rate on the estate. Florida, Texas, California, and most others levy nothing, which is why selecting your state matters—identical estates can owe six figures apart purely based on residence. The state selector marks every taxing state with a warning icon.
The 2026 federal estate and gift tax exemption is projected at roughly $15 million per person after the 2025 sunset adjustment, indexed for inflation. Estates above the exemption face a 40% top rate; amounts passing to a spouse are fully exempt.
Twelve states plus DC levy their own estate or inheritance taxes with much lower exemptions — from about $1 million in Oregon to roughly $13 million in some others. Federal exemption alone does not protect residents of these states.
The 2026 annual exclusion is $19,000 per recipient, double that for married couples splitting gifts. Gifts above the exclusion use lifetime exemption but do not trigger immediate tax for most filers.
Common levers: annual exclusion gifting, paying tuition or medical costs directly, charitable bequests and trusts, spousal portability elections, and moving residency away from high-exemption states. Model each with the calculator before executing.
The 2026 exemption is approximately $13.99 million per individual ($27.98 million for married couples) after inflation adjustment. Estates above this threshold face a 40% top marginal rate. Twelve states plus DC also levy separate state estate taxes with exemptions as low as $1 million in Oregon and Massachusetts.
Yes. Enter your total estate value, state of residence, and deductions to see combined federal and state liability. For example, a $16 million estate in Washington State faces roughly $800,000 in federal tax plus $1.6 million in state tax (rates from 10% to 20% above the $2.193M state exemption).
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