🏛 Estate Tax Calculator
The US federal estate tax only touches the part of an estate above a large exemption, which was $13.61 million per person in 2024. Everything above that line is taxed at a flat 40%, so most estates owe nothing at all.
Enter the total estate value and this calculator subtracts the exemption, applies the 40% rate to the remainder, and shows the effective rate on the whole estate. State-level estate or inheritance taxes are separate and not included.
How to use this calculator
Enter the total value of the estate to estimate the US federal estate tax using the 2024 exemption of $13.61 million and the flat 40% rate.
- Type the Total estate value including property, investments and other assets.
- The calculator subtracts the $13.61 million exemption automatically.
- Press Calculate to see the tax on the amount above the exemption.
- Check the effective rate line to see the tax as a share of the whole estate.
Frequently asked questions
How is the federal estate tax figured?
Only the part of the estate above the exemption is taxed. For 2024 the exemption is $13.61 million per person and the rate on the excess is a flat 40%.
Can you show an example?
A $20 million estate has $6.39 million above the exemption, and 40% of that is $2,556,000 in federal estate tax, an effective rate of about 12.8% on the full estate.
Do most estates owe this tax?
No. Because the exemption is so large, the great majority of estates fall entirely below it and owe zero federal estate tax.
Does this include state taxes?
No. Several states levy their own estate or inheritance taxes with much lower exemptions, and those are not part of this calculation.