Last revised: November 6, 2026 · By the FintechZoom Markets Desk, reviewed under our editorial policy
Estate tax calculator 2026
For deaths in 2026, the federal estate tax applies only to the part of an estate, plus taxable lifetime gifts, above the $15,000,000 basic exclusion set in section 2.14 of Rev. Proc. 2025-32, and that part is taxed at 40 percent. This estate tax calculator follows the structure of Form 706: it adds up assets, subtracts deductions, adds back taxable gifts, applies the exclusion plus any unused exclusion inherited from a spouse (the DSUE amount on line 9b), and shows the tax and what is left for heirs. A state check covers Massachusetts, Oregon, New York and Washington, whose thresholds are far lower.
The calculator below opens with a worked example: a $20,000,000 estate with $500,000 of debts and a 2026 death. Replace the figures with your own. Results are estimates for US citizens and residents, not tax advice.
Calculate federal estate tax
Estimated federal estate tax
Federal estate tax due
$0.00
Effective rate on gross estate: 0.00%
Gross estate
$0.00
Total deductions
$0.00
Taxable estate (after deductions)
$0.00
Adjusted taxable gifts
$0.00
Applicable exclusion (basic plus DSUE)
$0.00
Amount above the exclusion
$0.00
Federal tax (Table A less credit)
$0.00
Left for spouse and heirs after federal tax
$0.00
Where the gross estate goes
Federal estate tax only, for the year of death selected. State taxes are shown separately when you choose a state.
How this calculator works
The calculator follows Part 2 of Form 706 in simplified form for a US citizen or resident who died between 2021 and 2026. Federal law only; the tax year is the calendar year of death.
Gross estate = sum of the seven asset fields
Deductions = debts + funeral and administration costs + charitable bequests + state death taxes + marital deduction
Taxable estate = gross estate minus deductions (not below zero)
Tax base = taxable estate + adjusted taxable gifts
Applicable exclusion = basic exclusion for the year of death + DSUE amount (Form 706 lines 9a and 9b)
Federal estate tax = Table A tax on the tax base minus Table A tax on the applicable exclusion (not below zero)
Table A in the Form 706 instructions charges $345,800 on the first $1,000,000 and 40 percent on everything above it. The 2026 credit of $5,945,800 is the Table A tax on $15,000,000. Since every exclusion from 2021 to 2026 is above $1,000,000, the result is the same as 40 percent of the tax base above the applicable exclusion, and the calculator checks it that way too.
Assumptions: values are fair market values at death; no gift tax was paid on earlier gifts; the spouse receiving the marital deduction is a US citizen; no restored exclusion (line 9c), foreign death tax credit or prior transfer credit applies. Effective rate is federal tax divided by gross estate.
Federal basic exclusion by year of death
| Year of death | Basic exclusion amount |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $15,000,000 |
| 2025 | $13,990,000 |
| 2024 | $13,610,000 |
| 2023 | $12,920,000 |
| 2022 | $12,060,000 |
| 2021 | $11,700,000 |
Source: IRS estate tax filing thresholds; 2026 also in Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 2.14.
Worked example
A single person dies in 2026 with a $2,000,000 home, $14,000,000 of investments, $1,000,000 in savings, $2,500,000 in retirement plans and a $500,000 life insurance benefit: a gross estate of $20,000,000. Debts are $500,000, so the taxable estate is $19,500,000. With no taxable gifts and no DSUE, the applicable exclusion is $15,000,000 and $4,500,000 is above it. Table A tax on $19,500,000 is $7,745,800; less the $5,945,800 credit, the federal tax is $1,800,000, which is 40 percent of $4,500,000 and 9.00 percent of the gross estate. $17,700,000 is left for heirs.
Two changes show how the other inputs work. If the same person were a surviving spouse whose husband died in 2024 and left a DSUE of $13,610,000, the exclusion would be $28,610,000 and no federal tax would be due. If the person lived in Washington and died on March 1, 2026, the state check estimates Washington tax of $4,528,400: $19,500,000 less the $3,076,000 exclusion leaves $16,424,000, and Table W charges $1,930,000 plus 35 percent of the amount over $9,000,000. That state tax would then be deductible on the federal return.
What each input means
- Asset fields: everything the person owned or had certain interests in at death, at fair market value, as the IRS describes the gross estate. Use the value on the date of death, not the purchase price.
- Debts and costs: mortgages and other debts, funeral costs and estate administration expenses such as executor and legal fees.
- Charitable bequests: property left to qualified charities.
- State death taxes: estate, inheritance, legacy or succession taxes paid to a state, deductible on line 3b.
- Marital deduction: property passing to a surviving spouse who is a US citizen.
- Adjusted taxable gifts: lifetime gifts after 1976 above the annual exclusion, added back on the return.
- DSUE amount: the unused exclusion of the last deceased spouse, only if portability was elected on that spouse’s timely Form 706. The law caps it at the basic exclusion amount (26 U.S.C. 2010(c)(4)), so the calculator rejects anything above $15,000,000.
- State: runs the threshold check for Massachusetts, New York, Oregon or Washington.
State estate taxes in 2026
State thresholds are much lower than the federal $15,000,000. The calculator checks four states with figures read from their revenue departments on November 6, 2026. The state estimate uses the gross estate less debts, costs, charity and the marital deduction; each state has its own deductions, so treat it as a first look.
| State | 2026 threshold | What this calculator does | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Return required if gross estate plus adjusted taxable gifts is more than $2,000,000 (deaths on or after January 1, 2023) | Flags whether a return is required. Tax itself comes from Table B less a $99,600 credit on Form M-706 and is not computed here. | Mass. DOR estate tax guide |
| Oregon | Return required if the estate is $1,000,000 or more | Flags whether a return is required. Rates are not computed here. | Oregon DOR estate tax |
| New York | Basic exclusion $7,350,000; the credit phases out up to 105 percent of it ($7,717,500) and is zero above that | Shows which side of the cliff the estate falls on. Rates are not computed here. | NY DTF estate tax, Form ET-706 instructions |
| Washington | Exclusion $3,076,000 for deaths January 1 to June 30, 2026; $3,000,000 from July 1, 2026 | Estimates tax with the Table W rates for the date of death (10 to 35 percent through June 30, 2026; 10 to 20 percent from July 1, 2026). | WA DOR estate tax tables |
| Other states | Check with the state | Shows a reminder only. | State revenue department |
Other jurisdictions with an estate tax in 2026 are Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Vermont, and Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania charge inheritance tax, according to AARP (updated March 31, 2026). Their thresholds are not built into this tool; check with the state.
Limitations
- No gift tax paid on earlier gifts is subtracted, so estates that paid gift tax may see a lower real bill.
- Non-citizen spouses, qualified domestic trusts, the generation-skipping transfer tax, restored exclusion, special-use valuation and the alternate valuation date are not modeled.
- State results for Massachusetts, New York and Oregon are threshold checks only; the Washington figure is an estimate on federal-style deductions.
- Years of death before 2021 are not offered.
Estate tax calculator FAQs
What is the federal estate tax exemption for 2026?
For people who die in 2026 the basic exclusion amount is $15,000,000, set by section 2.14 of Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and repeated in the Form 706 instructions. It was $13,990,000 for deaths in 2025. An estate owes federal estate tax only on the part of the net estate plus adjusted taxable gifts above the exclusion, plus any unused exclusion inherited from a spouse.
What tax rate applies above the exemption?
Form 706 uses the Table A rate schedule, which runs from 18 percent on the first $10,000 to 40 percent above $1,000,000. The unified credit for 2026 is $5,945,800, which equals the Table A tax on $15,000,000. Because the exclusion is far above $1,000,000, every dollar of taxable estate above the exclusion is taxed at 40 percent, so the calculator result equals 40 percent of the excess.
How does portability work for a surviving spouse?
When a married person dies after 2010 without using all of the exclusion, the executor can pass the unused part, called the deceased spousal unused exclusion or DSUE amount, to the surviving spouse. The executor has to elect it on a timely filed Form 706, and the amount is figured in Part VI of that return. The surviving spouse later adds it on line 9b of their own Form 706. Enter that amount in the DSUE field; the calculator does not double the exclusion automatically.
Do gifts made during life reduce the exemption?
Yes, if they were taxable gifts. Gifts up to the annual exclusion, $19,000 per recipient for 2026 or $194,000 to a spouse who is not a US citizen under Rev. Proc. 2025-32, do not count. Taxable gifts above those amounts made after 1976 are added back to the estate when the tax is figured, so they use up part of the exclusion.
Is life insurance counted in the gross estate?
The IRS lists insurance among the kinds of property that can make up the gross estate. Enter the death benefit if the policy belongs in the estate. The calculator does not test who owned the policy or who receives the proceeds, so ask a tax adviser if the policy is held in a trust or owned by someone else.
Which states have their own estate tax with a lower threshold?
This page checks four states against figures read from their revenue departments on November 6, 2026. Massachusetts requires a return when the gross estate plus adjusted taxable gifts is above $2,000,000. Oregon requires one at $1,000,000 or more. New York has a basic exclusion of $7,350,000 for 2026 deaths and a cliff above 105 percent of it. Washington has a $3,076,000 exclusion for deaths from January 1 to June 30, 2026 and $3,000,000 after that. For any other state, check with that state.
When is the federal estate tax return due?
Form 706 is due 9 months after the date of death, according to the Form 706 instructions. An executor who files only to elect portability, with no filing requirement otherwise, can file up to the fifth anniversary of the death under Rev. Proc. 2022-32.
Who has to file Form 706 for a 2026 death?
The executor must file if the gross estate plus adjusted taxable gifts and specific gift tax exemption is more than $15,000,000 for a 2026 death, the threshold on the IRS estate tax page. A smaller estate can still file to elect portability so the surviving spouse keeps the unused exclusion.
Why might the real tax differ from this estimate?
The calculator uses the values you type and the Form 706 structure in simplified form. Appraised values, the alternate valuation date, gift tax already paid, a spouse who is not a US citizen, trusts, state estate taxes and deductions the IRS later disallows can all change the figure. Treat the result as a planning estimate and have the return prepared by a qualified professional.
How we check this calculator
On November 6, 2026 we compared the code with the Form 706 instructions and ran seven test estates, including a 2026 death above the exclusion, an estate passing to a spouse, taxable gifts, a 2025 death and two DSUE cases, against an independent Table A computation; every result matched to the cent. The old version doubled the current year’s exclusion when portability was ticked, which overstated the DSUE for a spouse who died in an earlier year (by $1,390,000 of exclusion, or $556,000 of tax, for a 2024 death). It now takes the DSUE amount from the late spouse’s return. Exclusion amounts are reviewed each autumn when the IRS publishes the next year’s figures.
Revision history: November 6, 2026, DSUE input replaced the portability checkbox, state check, chart, worked example and FAQ added, sources linked; previous edition September 21, 2026.
Related: income tax calculator, marriage tax calculator, take-home paycheck calculator, Social Security calculator, compound interest calculator, real estate market coverage, all calculators.
Sources: IRS, Instructions for Form 706; IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32; IRS, Estate tax; 26 U.S.C. 2010; Massachusetts DOR; Oregon DOR; New York DTF; Form ET-706 instructions; Washington DOR; AARP.
This calculator gives an educational estimate based on the figures you enter and the federal and state rules cited above as of November 6, 2026. It is not tax, legal or financial advice. See our disclaimer.
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