Estate tax calculator 2026 (US federal)
This estate tax calculator shows the US federal estate tax for a death in 2026. Enter the gross estate, debts and deductions, taxable gifts made during life and any unused exemption from a late spouse: the calculator applies the rate schedule of § 2001, subtracts the credit for the $15 million basic exclusion amount and shows the tax due.
Source: 26 U.S.C. § 2001(b), (c), 26 U.S. Code § 2001 – Imposition and rate of estate tax: rate schedule 18% to 40%, adjusted taxable gifts (read 08.10.2026). Updated: .
How it is calculated
For deaths in 2026 the federal estate tax exemption is $15,000,000 per person; only the part of the estate above it is taxed, effectively at 40%. Married couples can shelter up to $30,000,000 with portability.
How the estate tax is calculated
- Gross estate minus debts, funeral and administration costs, everything left to a US-citizen spouse (unlimited marital deduction) and to charity = taxable estate.
- Add taxable gifts made during life (after 1976). Gifts up to the annual exclusion of $19,000 per recipient in 2026 do not count.
- Apply the rate schedule of § 2001(c) to get the tentative tax.
- Subtract the unified credit – the tentative tax on the exemption ($5,945,800 on $15,000,000) – and gift tax already payable on lifetime gifts.
Rate schedule § 2001(c)
| Tax base | Tentative tax |
|---|---|
| up to $10,000 | 18% |
| $250,000 – $500,000 | $70,800 + 34% of the excess over $250,000 |
| $750,000 – $1,000,000 | $248,300 + 39% of the excess over $750,000 |
| over $1,000,000 | $345,800 + 40% of the excess over $1,000,000 |
Because the exemption is far above $1,000,000, every dollar above the exemption is taxed at 40%.
Examples for 2026
- $20 million estate, $500,000 debts: taxable estate $19,500,000; tentative tax $7,745,800 minus credit $5,945,800 = $1,800,000 (40% of $4,500,000).
- $14 million estate: below the $15 million exemption – no federal estate tax.
- $40 million estate, no deductions: 40% of $25,000,000 = $10,000,000.
- $25 million estate and $2 million of taxable lifetime gifts: tax base $27,000,000, tax $4,800,000.
- Widow with $10 million unused exemption (DSUE) and a $25 million estate: exemption $25,000,000 – no tax.
- $20 million estate, $2 million left to charity: taxable estate $18,000,000, tax $1,200,000.
Heirs who sell inherited assets later pay tax on the gain above the value at death: capital gains tax calculator. UK estates: inheritance tax calculator UK.
Limits
The calculator covers the federal estate tax only. Several states and Washington, D.C. levy their own estate or inheritance tax with far lower exemptions. Not included: the generation-skipping transfer tax, non-citizen spouses (no unlimited marital deduction), special-use valuation and credits for foreign death taxes. Gift tax on earlier gifts is approximated with the 2026 credit. The result is an estimate, not legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the estate tax exemption for 2026?
$15,000,000 per person for deaths in 2026, made permanent by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and adjusted for inflation from 2027. A married couple can protect $30,000,000 if the surviving spouse elects portability.
What is the federal estate tax rate?
The rate schedule goes from 18% to 40%, but because the credit covers the first $15,000,000, the part of the estate above the exemption is taxed at 40%.
How much estate tax on a $20 million estate?
With $500,000 of debts and costs and no other deductions: 40% of $4,500,000 = $1,800,000.
Does money left to my spouse count?
No. Everything left to a spouse who is a US citizen is fully deductible. The estate tax usually becomes due when the second spouse dies.
What is portability (DSUE)?
The surviving spouse can take over the unused exemption of the first spouse to die – at most the exemption in force in the year of that death ($15,000,000 for deaths in 2026, $13,990,000 in 2025) – if it is elected on a timely estate tax return (Form 706).
Do lifetime gifts reduce the exemption?
Yes. Taxable gifts above the annual exclusion ($19,000 per recipient in 2026) are added back to the estate when the tax is calculated, so they use up part of the exemption.
Sources and legal basis
- 26 U.S.C. § 2001(b), (c): 26 U.S. Code § 2001 – Imposition and rate of estate tax: rate schedule 18% to 40%, adjusted taxable gifts (read 08.10.2026)
- 26 U.S.C. § 2010(c)(1)–(4): 26 U.S. Code § 2010 – Unified credit against estate tax: basic exclusion amount $15,000,000, deceased spousal unused exclusion (read 08.10.2026)
- sec. 2.14, sec. 4.42: IRS – Rev. Proc. 2025-32: basic exclusion amount $15,000,000 for 2026 and annual gift exclusion $19,000 (read 08.10.2026)
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