What is the 2026 estate tax exemption?

Each person can shield $13,990,000 from federal estate tax in 2026. A married couple using portability can shield $27,980,000 combined. Only the value above the exemption is taxed.

What is the top estate tax rate?

The federal estate tax tops out at 40%. The graduated schedule rises from 18% on the first $10,000 of the taxable amount to 40% on amounts over $1,000,000 above the exemption.

On a $20M single estate, what is the tax?

With a $13.99M exemption and no deductions, the taxable estate is $6,010,000. Applying the graduated schedule, the first $1M is taxed under the rising 18%-39% bands and the remaining $5,010,000 at 40%, giving about $2,349,800 in estimated federal estate tax.

Does this include state estate or inheritance tax?

No. This estimates only federal estate tax. Several states levy their own estate or inheritance tax with separate thresholds, so your total liability may be higher. Confirm with the IRS and your state.

Federal Estate Tax Calculator (2026)

Estimate federal estate tax for 2026

This calculator estimates the federal estate tax on an estate in 2026. It uses the $13,990,000 per-person exemption (doubled to $27,980,000 for a married couple electing portability) and the graduated federal estate-tax schedule that tops out at 40% on the taxable amount above the exemption.

How it works

The taxable estate is the gross estate minus deductions (debts, charitable and marital transfers) and the applicable exemption, floored at zero. The graduated schedule is then applied slice by slice to that taxable remainder:

taxable estate = max(0, gross - deductions - exemption)
18% to $10k, 20% to $20k, 22% to $40k, 24% to $60k,
26% to $80k, 28% to $100k, 30% to $150k, 32% to $250k,
34% to $500k, 37% to $750k, 39% to $1M, 40% above $1M

Because the unified credit effectively absorbs tax below the exemption, the schedule is applied only to the portion above it.

Example

A single person dies with a $20,000,000 estate and no deductions. Subtracting the $13,990,000 exemption leaves a taxable estate of $6,010,000. The first $1,000,000 runs through the rising 18% to 39% bands (totaling $345,800), and the remaining $5,010,000 is taxed at 40% ($2,004,000). The estimated federal estate tax is about $2,349,800 — an effective rate near 11.7% on the $20M gross estate.

Notes

This is an estimate only and not tax, legal, or financial advice. It models the 2026 federal exemption and graduated estate-tax schedule published by the IRS and assumes a simple portability doubling for married couples. It excludes state estate and inheritance taxes, prior taxable gifts, valuation discounts, and trust structures. Consult an estate attorney and the IRS before relying on any figure.