Estate Tax Calculator
A simple federal estate tax estimate: subtract the exemption from your gross estate and apply the 40% top rate.
How it works
Taxable estate = gross estate − exemption · Estate tax = taxable estate × rate
Federal estate tax applies only to the portion of an estate above the exemption — $13.61M per person in 2024 — and the top rate is 40%. Because the exemption is so high, the vast majority of estates owe nothing; the tax is a concern mainly for the wealthy. Married couples can effectively double the exemption through portability, and this simple model ignores deductions (marital, charitable), state estate taxes and the graduated lower brackets on the first taxable dollars.
Worked example
A $15,000,000 estate minus the $13,610,000 exemption leaves $1,390,000 taxable. At 40% that is an estimated $556,000 of federal estate tax, leaving about $14,444,000 to heirs.
Frequently asked questions
Do most estates owe estate tax?
No. With a per-person exemption above $13 million, fewer than 0.1% of estates owe any federal estate tax. It is overwhelmingly a tax on very large estates.
What about state estate or inheritance taxes?
Several states levy their own estate or inheritance taxes with much lower exemptions than the federal one. This calculator covers only the simplified federal estate tax.
What is portability?
A surviving spouse can inherit the unused portion of a deceased spouse’s exemption, letting a married couple shield roughly double the individual amount. It must be elected on a timely estate-tax return.
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Educational estimate only, using simplified federal rules — it ignores state tax, credits, phase-outs and your full situation. Not tax, legal or financial advice; confirm with a professional.