Estate Tax Calculator

What this calculator does

Here is the reassuring part first: the overwhelming majority of estates in the United States owe no federal estate tax at all. This calculator helps you see which side of that line an estate falls on, and if it does cross the line, roughly what the tax would be and how much would be left for the heirs.

You enter what the estate owns, subtract what it owes and what is deductible, and account for large gifts made during life. The tool then compares the total against the federal exemption and, if the estate is above it, applies the estate tax and shows the value that passes on after tax. For most people the answer will simply be that nothing is owed, and the tool says so plainly.

How to use it

The inputs come in three groups, matching how an estate is actually tallied.

1. Assets. Everything of value: the home and other real estate, investments, cash and savings, vehicles, retirement plans, life insurance, and anything else. Add each into its field.
2. Liabilities and deductions. What comes off the total: debts like a mortgage or loans, administration and related costs, charitable contributions, and any state estate or inheritance taxes.
3. Lifetime gifts. The total you have already given away tax-free during your life, which the estate tax counts back in, for the reason explained below.

Press Calculate for the net taxable estate and, if it applies, the tax and the after-tax value. Press Reset to clear the fields.

How the taxable estate is built

The calculation runs in a clear order. It adds up all the assets to get the gross estate. It subtracts the deductions, the debts, costs, charitable gifts, and state taxes, since those reduce what is actually passed on. Then it adds back the lifetime gifts you have made.

That last step surprises people, so it is worth explaining. The federal system is unified, meaning gifts you make during your life and the estate you leave at death draw on the same single exemption. If lifetime gifts did not count back in, someone could give almost everything away before death and sidestep the tax entirely. So they are added to the estate, the total is measured against the exemption, and the top estate tax rate of 40 percent applies to whatever sits above it.

The $15 million exemption

The number that decides everything here is the federal exemption, formally the basic exclusion amount. For 2026 it is 15 million dollars per person. An estate valued below that owes no federal estate tax. Only the portion above it is taxed, and the top rate on that excess is 40 percent.

This figure was set by the law signed in July 2025, which made the higher exemption permanent and indexed it to rise with inflation in the years after 2026. A married couple can effectively shield twice the amount, up to 30 million dollars, by combining both spouses' exemptions. Because the bar is this high, only a very small share of estates, well under one percent, ever owe federal estate tax. For most families it is simply not a concern, though the calculator will confirm that for your own numbers rather than leaving you to guess.

A worked example you can check

Take an estate with 17 million dollars in assets, after adding up the home, investments, savings, vehicles, retirement, and life insurance. Suppose there are 2 million dollars in deductions, debts, costs, and charitable gifts combined, and that 2 million was given away as lifetime gifts. Let us run it.

• Assets, minus 2 million in deductions, plus 2 million in lifetime gifts added back: taxable estate of 17 million
• Net taxable estate, before the tax: 15 million
• Amount above the 15 million exemption: 17 million − 15 million = 2 million
• Federal estate tax at 40 percent: 0.40 × 2 million = 800,000
• Value passing to heirs after tax: 15 million − 800,000 = 14.2 million

Notice what pushed this estate over the line: the 2 million in lifetime gifts, added back in, is exactly what carried it above the exemption. Without the add-back the estate would have sat right at 15 million and owed nothing. That is the unified system doing its job, and it is the piece most people miss when they estimate this on their own.

What this estimate does not cover

Estate tax is one of the more complex corners of the tax code, and this tool is a simplified federal estimate, not a substitute for planning. A few things it deliberately keeps simple are worth naming, because they can change the answer a great deal:

• Transfers to a spouse. Assets left to a spouse who is a US citizen generally pass free of estate tax under the unlimited marital deduction, which this estimate does not model.
• Portability. A surviving spouse can often use the deceased spouse's unused exemption, which can shield far more than a single exemption.
• Trusts and structures. Much real estate planning happens through trusts and other arrangements that change how and whether assets are taxed.
• State taxes. A number of states levy their own estate or inheritance tax, often at much lower thresholds than the federal one, so an estate that owes nothing federally can still owe at the state level.

So use this to get a feel for whether an estate is anywhere near the federal threshold and what the rough exposure might be. For an estate that is close to or above the exemption, this is the point to bring in an estate planning attorney or tax professional, because the details are where the real money is decided.

Questions people ask

Will my estate owe federal estate tax?

Almost certainly not, unless it is worth more than 15 million dollars. Fewer than one percent of estates are large enough to owe it. The calculator confirms this for your specific figures.

Why are my lifetime gifts added back to the estate?

Because gifts and the estate share one unified exemption. Counting lifetime gifts back in stops someone avoiding the tax by giving everything away before death.

Is the whole estate taxed at 40 percent?

No. Only the amount above the 15 million exemption is taxed, and 40 percent is the top rate on that excess. Everything up to the exemption passes tax-free.

Could I owe state tax even if I owe no federal tax?

Yes. Some states have their own estate or inheritance tax with much lower thresholds, so a state bill is possible even when no federal tax is due. This tool estimates the federal side.

References

The federal estate tax figures, the 15 million dollar basic exclusion amount for 2026, the 40 percent top rate on amounts above it, and the unified treatment of lifetime gifts and the estate, follow the US Internal Revenue Service.

1. Internal Revenue Service, Frequently asked questions on estate taxes. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/frequently-asked-questions-on-estate-taxes