Estate Tax Calculator
Enter the gross value of the estate — optionally add any prior taxable gifts — to see the federal exemption used, the amount exposed to tax, and the estimated federal estate tax. Results update as you type, and the link always carries your numbers.
How this calculator works
The federal estate tax only applies to the value of an estate that exceeds a large exemption — $13,610,000 per individual as of 2024, a figure the IRS adjusts for inflation most years, so treat it as an approximate, illustrative constant rather than a live-updated number. Anything above that line is taxed; this calculator applies a flat 40% to the excess as a deliberate simplification of the real graduated 18%–40% bracket schedule (see the FAQ for why that's a reasonable shortcut once an estate is large enough to owe anything at all). Prior taxable gifts count toward the same lifetime exemption, so they're added to the gross estate before the exemption is subtracted. This is federal tax only — many states layer on their own estate or inheritance tax with a much lower threshold, often starting around $1,000,000–$2,000,000, so check your specific state separately.
Worked example
A $15,000,000 estate with $500,000 in prior taxable gifts has a combined total of $15,500,000. Subtract the $13,610,000 exemption and $1,890,000 is exposed to tax. At the flat 40% simplification, that's an estimated $756,000 federal estate tax bill. A $10,000,000 estate with no prior gifts, by contrast, falls entirely under the exemption and owes $0 in federal estate tax.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this calculator use a flat 40% rate instead of the IRS's graduated brackets?
The real federal estate tax schedule is graduated, running from 18% up to 40% across brackets that start near $0 — but those lower brackets only matter for the first several hundred thousand dollars of the taxable amount. Once an estate clears the multi-million-dollar exemption by any meaningful margin, the overwhelming majority of the tax bill is computed at the top 40% rate, so treating the entire taxable excess as 40% is a small, honest simplification for a quick estimate rather than a full bracket-by-bracket calculation.
Do I also owe state estate or inheritance tax?
Maybe — this calculator only estimates the federal tax. About a dozen states plus D.C. levy their own estate tax, and a handful of others levy an inheritance tax instead, both with exemption thresholds far lower than the federal $13,610,000 — some start taxing estates as small as $1,000,000. Whether you owe anything at the state level depends entirely on where the decedent lived or owned property, so check your specific state's rules separately.
What counts as a 'prior taxable gift,' and why does it shrink my exemption?
The federal exemption is unified across gifts and estates: every dollar you give away during your lifetime above the annual gift-tax exclusion (and reported on a gift tax return) eats into the same exemption you'd otherwise use at death. So if you've made large taxable gifts before passing, add their cumulative total here — the calculator subtracts them from your remaining exemption the same way the IRS does.
Is this tax or legal advice?
No. This tool gives a rough, illustrative estimate using a simplified flat rate and a single approximate exemption figure — it ignores state taxes, portability between spouses, trusts, valuation discounts, and dozens of other real-world factors. Any estate large enough to be near or above the exemption should work with a qualified estate attorney and CPA well before it becomes urgent.