Federal Estate Tax Calculator (2026)
Estimate federal estate tax from the gross estate, the 2026 exemption, and the 40% top rate, with married portability. Educational, not financial or legal advice. Runs in your browser.
2026: $15M per the 2025 tax law (OBBBA), indexed. Verify current figure.
Amounts above the federal exemption are taxed at the top 40% rate (the graduated lower brackets are absorbed by the unified credit, so the effective marginal rate on the excess is 40%). The 2026 exemption is $15M per person under the 2025 law, indexed for inflation — confirm the current figure with the IRS. This estimate excludes state estate or inheritance taxes (several states impose them at much lower thresholds), deductions, and gifting history. Not financial or legal advice — consult a professional. Everything runs in your browser.
About this tool
The federal estate tax applies to the transfer of a person's assets at death, but only to estates that exceed a large exemption — so it affects a small fraction of estates. This calculator estimates the federal tax from three inputs: the gross estate value, the per-person exemption (the basic exclusion amount), and the top tax rate. For 2026, the exemption is $15 million per individual under the 2025 tax law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the higher exemption permanent and set this level, indexed for inflation thereafter), and the top rate is 40%. Although the estate tax technically has a graduated bracket schedule, the unified credit absorbs all of the lower brackets up to the exemption, so in practice every dollar above the exemption is taxed at the 40% marginal rate — which is why this tool computes tax as the taxable excess times the top rate. Married couples get an important advantage: through 'portability,' a surviving spouse can use the unused exemption of the first spouse to die, effectively doubling the shelter to $30 million (the tool models this with the married toggle), and assets left to a spouse generally pass tax-free under the unlimited marital deduction. The estimate deliberately leaves out several real-world factors that require professional planning: state-level estate or inheritance taxes (a number of states levy them at far lower thresholds than the federal exemption), charitable and other deductions, prior taxable gifts that reduce the available exemption, and valuation discounts. Because the exemption is indexed and tax law changes, the exemption and rate are editable here, but verify current figures with the IRS. This is educational and not financial or legal advice — consult a qualified estate attorney or tax professional. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
How to use it
- Enter the gross estate value (all assets).
- Confirm the per-person federal exemption — defaulted to the 2026 figure; verify against the IRS.
- Adjust the top tax rate if needed (40% federal).
- Toggle 'married' to apply both spouses' exemptions via portability.
- Read the estimated federal estate tax, taxable estate, and net to heirs.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the 2026 federal estate tax exemption?
- Under the 2025 tax law, the exemption is $15 million per individual for 2026, indexed for inflation afterward. Married couples can shelter up to $30 million combined through portability. Confirm the exact indexed figure with the IRS.
- How is federal estate tax calculated?
- Tax applies only to the value above the exemption. Because the unified credit absorbs the lower brackets, the excess is effectively taxed at the top 40% rate: tax = (estate − exemption) × 40%.
- What is portability?
- Portability lets a surviving spouse use the deceased spouse's unused exemption, effectively doubling the couple's shelter. It generally requires filing an estate tax return for the first spouse to elect it.
- Does this include state estate taxes?
- No. Several states impose their own estate or inheritance taxes, often at much lower thresholds than the federal exemption. This tool estimates federal tax only — check your state's rules separately.
- What is the unlimited marital deduction?
- Assets left to a US-citizen spouse generally pass free of estate tax regardless of amount. The tax often comes into play at the second spouse's death, which is why couples plan around both exemptions.
- Is this legal or financial advice?
- No. Estate planning is complex and state-specific, and tax law changes. This is an educational estimate — consult a qualified estate attorney or tax professional. Nothing is uploaded.