🇺🇸 US ESTATE TAX

2026 Estate & Gift Tax Calculator

Q: What is the federal estate tax rate above the exemption?

A flat 40% on the taxable estate, which is the portion of the net estate value that exceeds the available exemption after accounting for prior taxable lifetime gifts.

Q: Does this calculator cover state estate taxes?

No, this tool covers federal estate tax only. Twelve states and Washington D.C. have their own estate or inheritance taxes with much lower exemptions.

Calculate your federal estate tax exposure under the new permanent $15M exemption. See how lifetime gifts affect your remaining exemption at death.

🏛️Estate & Gift Tax Estimator

Enter your estate value, prior lifetime gifts, and filing status to estimate your 2026 federal estate tax.

✓ Updated for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 4, 2025) — $15M permanent exemption, no sunset.

Filing Status

Total Gross Estate Value ($)

Total Prior Taxable Lifetime Gifts ($) (above annual exclusions)

Debts & Deductible Expenses ($)

Charitable Bequests ($)

Please enter a valid estate value.

Estimated Federal Estate Tax

The 2026 Estate Tax: What Actually Changed

✓ Figures verified against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 4, 2025) and IRS estate and gift tax guidance — last checked June 2026.

For years, estate planners warned clients about the "2026 sunset" — the scheduled drop in the federal estate tax exemption from roughly $14M back to $7M once the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions expired on December 31, 2025. That sunset did not happen. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed on July 4, 2025, permanently raised the federal estate and gift tax exemption to $15 million per individual (or $30 million for a married couple with portability elected), effective January 1, 2026. The exemption is now indexed for inflation going forward with no expiration date.

The unified credit covers both lifetime gifts and transfers at death — it's one combined limit. Every dollar of taxable gift you make during your lifetime reduces the amount shielded at death. The annual gift tax exclusion of $19,000 per recipient in 2026 sits outside and below this threshold — gifts up to that amount per person per year don't count against your lifetime exemption at all. The federal estate tax rate on assets above the exemption remains 40%.

2026 Estate & Gift Tax at a Glance

Parameter	2026 Amount
Individual exemption (basic exclusion amount)	$15,000,000
Married couple (with portability)	$30,000,000
Annual gift exclusion (per recipient)	$19,000
Federal tax rate above exemption	40%
Sunset date	None — permanent

← Swipe to see all columns

Worked Example

Individual, $20M estate, $2M prior gifts, no debts or charitable bequests

Gross estate:               $20,000,000
Less debts/expenses:                  $0
Net estate:                 $20,000,000
Plus prior taxable gifts:    $2,000,000
Cumulative transfer total:  $22,000,000
Less 2026 exemption:        $15,000,000
Taxable amount:              $7,000,000
Federal estate tax @ 40%:    $2,800,000

Without the OBBBA, this same estate would have faced a ~$7M exemption and an estimated tax bill closer to $6M.

One planning nuance worth knowing: the anti-clawback regulation (26 CFR 20.2010-1(c)) protects gifts made under the higher TCJA exemption amounts before 2026. If you made large gifts in 2023–2025 specifically to lock in the higher exemption, those gifts remain fully protected even though the exemption is now higher anyway. The permanence also removes the "use it or lose it" urgency that drove rushed gifting strategies before 2026. For state-level estate taxes — many states have their own lower exemptions — consult a local estate planning attorney, since this calculator covers federal tax only. A detailed breakdown of current planning strategies is available via the ABA Estate Planning resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the federal estate tax exemption in 2026?+

The federal estate tax exemption is $15 million per individual in 2026, or $30 million for a married couple with portability properly elected. This is a permanent figure under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, indexed for inflation annually going forward.

Did the TCJA estate tax sunset happen in 2026?+

No. The scheduled drop to roughly $7M per individual did not occur. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, permanently raised and locked in the exemption at $15M per individual ($30M married), eliminating the sunset provision entirely.

How does the annual gift exclusion work?+

The annual gift exclusion in 2026 is $19,000 per recipient. Gifts up to that amount per person per year are completely outside the unified credit system — they don't reduce your $15M lifetime exemption. Only gifts above this per-recipient annual threshold count against your lifetime exemption.

What is the federal estate tax rate above the exemption?+

A flat 40% on the taxable estate — the portion of the net estate value that exceeds the available exemption after accounting for prior taxable lifetime gifts.

Does this calculator cover state estate taxes?+

No — this tool covers federal estate tax only. Twelve states and Washington D.C. have their own estate or inheritance taxes, often with much lower exemptions. Consult a local estate planning attorney for your state-level exposure.