About the Estate Tax Calculator
This estate tax calculator estimates the federal estate tax due when someone dies, and how much of the estate passes to heirs. The federal estate tax only applies to the portion of a taxable estate that exceeds the basic exclusion amount — $15,000,000 per person for deaths in 2026 (made permanent and indexed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) and $13,990,000 for 2025. Above that, the effective rate is 40%.
Enter the gross value of everything owned at death (homes, investments, business interests, retirement accounts and life insurance you own), then subtract debts and expenses, bequests to charity and amounts left to a US-citizen spouse, which pass tax free. Lifetime taxable gifts above the annual exclusion are added back, because the gift and estate taxes share one exemption. A surviving spouse can also add their late spouse’s unused exemption (DSUE, or portability).
Use it for estate planning conversations, to see whether gifting or charitable strategies would reduce tax, or to check whether an estate needs to file Form 706. It does not include state estate or inheritance taxes, which some states charge at much lower thresholds, and it assumes no gift tax was actually paid during life.
With the default inputs, the estimated federal estate tax is $1,000,000.00. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the estate tax calculator
- 1Select the year of death.
- 2Enter the gross value of all assets in the estate.
- 3Subtract debts, funeral and administration costs.
- 4Enter bequests to charity and to a US-citizen spouse.
- 5Add lifetime taxable gifts and any ported DSUE, then review the tax.
Formula and method
The estate tax uses a graduated rate table from 18% to 40%, but the unified credit wipes out tax on the first $15 million (2026). Because every bracket below 40% ends at $1 million, all dollars above the exemption are taxed at exactly 40%, so the net tax equals 40% of the excess.
Deductions for debts and expenses, charitable bequests and the unlimited marital deduction reduce the taxable estate. Adjusted taxable gifts made during life are added back because they used up part of the same exemption. A deceased spouse’s unused exclusion (DSUE) increases the exemption when portability was elected. The calculator assumes no gift tax was paid during life and ignores state estate taxes.
- Exemption
- Basic exclusion amount: $15,000,000 (2026), $13,990,000 (2025)
- DSUE
- Deceased spousal unused exclusion ported from a late spouse
- Lifetime gifts
- Taxable gifts above the annual exclusion made during life
Worked examples
$18 million estate with $500,000 of debts (2026)
After debts the taxable estate is $17.5 million, which is $2.5 million above the $15 million exemption. At 40% the federal estate tax is $1,000,000, and heirs receive $16.5 million.
Surviving spouse with $10 million DSUE and $3 million of lifetime gifts
The $29 million taxable estate plus $3 million of prior gifts gives a $32 million tax base. The survivor’s own $15 million exemption plus $10 million of DSUE covers $25 million, leaving $7 million taxed at 40% — $2.8 million.
2025 death, $20 million estate, $2 million to charity
Charity removes $2 million, leaving an $18 million taxable estate. The 2025 exemption is $13.99 million, so $4.01 million is taxed at 40%, giving $1,604,000 of federal estate tax.
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal estate tax exemption for 2026?+
For deaths in 2026 the basic exclusion amount is $15,000,000 per person, set by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and indexed for inflation from 2027. A married couple can shelter $30 million using portability.
What is the estate tax rate?+
The top federal estate tax rate is 40%. The rate table starts at 18%, but because the exemption is far above $1 million, the tax on every dollar above the exemption is effectively 40%.
Does money left to my spouse count?+
No. Assets left outright or in a qualifying trust to a US-citizen spouse qualify for the unlimited marital deduction and are not taxed at the first death. They may be taxed when the surviving spouse dies.
What is portability?+
Portability lets a surviving spouse add the deceased spouse’s unused exemption (DSUE) to their own. It must be elected on a timely filed Form 706, even when no tax is due.
Is there an inheritance tax in the US?+
There is no federal inheritance tax. A handful of states charge inheritance tax on beneficiaries, and about a dozen states plus DC levy their own estate tax, often with exemptions far below the federal amount.
Do lifetime gifts reduce the estate tax exemption?+
Gifts above the annual exclusion ($19,000 per recipient for 2025 and 2026) use up part of the same lifetime exemption, so they are added back when the estate tax is calculated.
Tax results are estimates based on published rules and simplified assumptions. They are not tax advice — check official guidance or a tax professional for your situation.