About the Estate Tax Calculator
An estate tax calculator estimates federal estate tax from the gross estate value, debts, and prior taxable gifts. Because the exemption is very high, federal estate tax affects only a small fraction of estates — but state-level thresholds are often much lower.
The formula
Taxable estate = gross estate − debts − deductions − exemptionThe 2024 federal exemption is 13.61 million dollars per individual, doubled for married couples through portability. Amounts above it are taxed at up to 40 percent.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter your Gross Estate Value ($). The field starts at
15000000, which you can overwrite. - 2Enter your Debts & Deductions ($). The field starts at
500000, which you can overwrite. - 3Enter your Prior Taxable Gifts ($). The field starts at
0, which you can overwrite. - 4Read the result straight away — it recalculates as you type, so there is no button to press. Use Share to copy a link that reopens the page with your exact numbers filled in.
Worked example
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Gross Estate Value ($) | 15000000 |
| Debts & Deductions ($) | 500000 |
| Prior Taxable Gifts ($) | 0 |
Result
Taxable Estate: $890,000
Estate Tax (40%): $356,000.00
Effective Rate: 2.37%
Those are the values the page loads with, so you can reproduce this result yourself and then change one field at a time to see what drives the outcome.
Understanding your result
The exemption is scheduled to roughly halve at the end of 2025 unless Congress acts, which is driving considerable estate planning activity. Estates comfortably below the current threshold could face liability under the reduced one, so planning based on today's figure alone is risky.
State estate and inheritance taxes are a separate and often more immediate concern. Several states impose estate tax at thresholds as low as one or two million dollars, and a few levy inheritance tax on beneficiaries rather than on the estate. An estate exempt federally can still owe substantial state tax.
Things worth knowing
- Portability lets a surviving spouse use the deceased spouse's unused exemption, but it must be elected on a timely filed return.
- The unlimited marital deduction defers tax on transfers to a US citizen spouse entirely.
- Annual gift exclusions let you transfer meaningful amounts each year without touching the lifetime exemption.
- Assets generally receive a step-up in basis at death, which can be worth more than avoiding estate tax.
- Life insurance is included in the taxable estate unless held in an irrevocable trust.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I leave without federal estate tax?+
13.61 million dollars per person in 2024, or over 27 million for a married couple using portability. The exemption is scheduled to fall substantially after 2025 without new legislation.
What is the federal estate tax rate?+
A graduated schedule reaching 40 percent on amounts above the exemption. Only the excess is taxed, not the entire estate.
What is the difference between estate and inheritance tax?+
Estate tax is paid by the estate before distribution; inheritance tax is paid by the beneficiaries who receive assets. The US federal government levies only estate tax, but some states levy one or both.
What is portability?+
A provision letting a surviving spouse claim the deceased spouse's unused federal exemption. It must be elected on a timely filed estate tax return even when no tax is owed.