Estate Tax Calculator
Federal estate tax from gross estate, exclusion, and deductions.
What it does
Federal estate tax prices only the slice above the exclusion: gross estate minus $15 million single or $30 million joint, less marital, charity, debt, and expense deductions, times a flat effective 40%. Most estates owe nothing because the exclusion covers them whole.
The tool above takes gross estate with filing status and deductions. It returns tax, taxable estate, and share of gross. The default $20 million single estate with no deductions leaves $5,000,000.00 taxable at $2,000,000.00, which is 10.00% of gross.
Figures follow IRS tables with Tax Foundation analysis beside them: 2026 basic exclusion $15 million after the July 2025 law, $13.99 million in 2025 and $13.61 million in 2024 before it, with rates rising quickly to a 40% top that applies flat past the credit. Portability lets spouses stack $30 million joint.
State estate and inheritance taxes run their own lower lines in some states and sit outside this federal math. Lifetime gifts consume the same exclusion pool, and basis steps up at death, so income tax rarely doubles the hit.
How to use
- Type gross estate at fair market value.
- Pick single or portability joint exclusion.
- Type marital, charity, debt, and expense deductions.
- Read tax first, taxable beside it.
- Compare effective share against gross.
- Confirm with counsel before filing Form 706.
Formula
- exclusion
- $15M single, $30M joint with portability, 2026.
- deductions
- Marital, charity, debts, administration.
- 40%
- Flat effective top rate past the credit.
Graduated brackets collapse to flat 40% because the credit absorbs lower bands. Annual $19,000 per donee gifts sit outside this page.
Worked example
Example: $20M single, no deductions
Defaults: $20,000,000 gross, single, $0 deductions.
- Exclusion: $15,000,000 single for 2026.
- Taxable: 20,000,000 minus 15,000,000 = $5,000,000.00.
- Tax: 5,000,000 x 0.40 = $2,000,000.00.
- Share: 2,000,000 / 20,000,000 = 10.00%.
- Joint check: same estate with portability owes $0.
- Tool shows $2,000,000.00, $5,000,000.00, 10.00%.
Reference table
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 exclusion | $13,610,000 | IRS table |
| 2025 exclusion | $13,990,000 | IRS table |
| 2026 single | $15,000,000 | July 2025 law |
| 2026 joint | $30,000,000 | With portability |
| Top rate | 40% flat effective | Past the credit |
| $16M single | $400,000.00 tax | 1M x 40% |
| DSUE | File Form 706 to port | Even under threshold |
Limits
- Federal only; states differ.
- Flat 40% simplification past credit.
- Valuation fights ignored.
- Generation skipping tax excluded.
Common mistakes
- Taxing the whole estate instead of the slice.
- Missing portability election for spouses.
- Skipping marital and charity deductions.
- Using last year exclusion this year.
- Confusing annual gift exclusion with lifetime.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
$15M single?
$0.00 tax on $0.00 taxable.
$16M single?
$1,000,000 taxable, $400,000.00 tax.
$30M joint?
$0.00 tax inside $30M portability.
Questions
Default tax?
$2,000,000.00 on $20M single.
2026 exclusion?
$15M single, $30M joint with portability.
Rate?
Flat effective 40% past the credit.
Who pays?
About 0.07% of decedents; the exclusion covers the rest.
Spouse transfers?
Unlimited marital deduction plus portable exclusion.
RMD page versus this?
That prices yearly retirement withdrawals; this prices transfers at death.