Short, citable answers to common U.S. estate and inheritance tax questions. Each pack links the official source, the date we verified it, and a calculator you can run yourself.
Not legal or tax advice. These are planning aids only. Always confirm with the IRS, your state Department of Revenue, or a licensed estate attorney / CPA.
Only estates above the federal unified exemption (about $15M per person in 2026) owe federal estate tax, and only a handful of states levy their own estate or inheritance tax. Use the by-state tool to check your jurisdiction.
Source: IRC Chapter 11 / state Departments of Revenue · Verified 2026-08-09
By state →The 2026 annual exclusion is $19,000 per donee ($38,000 per married couple). Gifts above that reduce your $15M lifetime exemption but only trigger tax once the exemption is exhausted.
Source: IRS — Annual Gift Tax Exclusion · Verified 2026-08-09
Gift Tax Calculator →Inherited assets generally get a fair-market-value basis as of the date of death, erasing unrealized capital gains for heirs. The step-up tool estimates the embedded gain that washes out.
Source: IRC § 1014 · Verified 2026-08-09
Step-up Basis →33 states have no estate or inheritance tax at all. Among taxing states, exemption levels and rates differ sharply. The compare tool ranks all states at once.
Source: State Departments of Revenue · Verified 2026-08-09
Compare states →A focused set of free calculators and guides across related topics — no account required.
