Free tool
Estate tax calculator (2026)
Estimate federal estate tax, check whether your state taxes estates or inheritances, and see how much a gift to charity in your will saves. Most estates owe nothing: the federal exemption is $15,000,000 per person in 2026.
An estimate for planning, not tax advice. The calculator runs in your browser; nothing is sent to us. Taxable gifts you made during your life also count against the exemption. Estates near the exemption, or with a family business or farm, should talk with an estate attorney.
How the estimate works
- Federal: estate tax is 40% of your taxable estate above the exemption ($15,000,000 per person in 2026). Gifts to charity in your will are fully deductible.
- Married couples: everything left to a U.S.-citizen spouse passes free of federal estate tax. At the second death, the survivor can use both exemptions if the first spouse's executor files a return to claim the unused amount (called portability).
- States: 12 states and D.C. have their own estate tax, some with much lower thresholds, and five states tax what heirs inherit. The calculator tells you whether your state's tax may apply; rates and rules vary.
More detail: Charitable bequests and estate tax in 2026.
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