What Is the Federal Estate Tax Exemption for 2026?
The federal estate tax exemption is the amount you can transfer at death without owing federal estate tax. For 2026, that amount is $15 million per person — $30 million for a married couple that elects portability. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the higher exemption permanent and indexed it for inflation.
2026 federal estate tax numbers
Exemption: $15,000,000 per person. Married couple with portability: $30,000,000. Top federal rate: 40%. Annual gift exclusion: $19,000 per donee. GST exemption: $15,000,000 per person.
What counts toward the exemption
The exemption applies to your taxable estate, which is the gross estate minus deductions such as debts, funeral and administrative expenses, charitable bequests, and the marital deduction. Assets include real estate, investments, retirement accounts, business interests, and life insurance you own.
Who still owes federal estate tax
Only estates above the exemption owe federal estate tax. In 2026, that is individuals above $15M and married couples above $30M (with portability). Business owners and real estate investors in high-cost areas are most likely to be affected.
Calculate your exposure
Use our Federal Estate Tax Calculator to estimate your tax with the exact 2026 IRS brackets and portability modeling.