Federal Estate-Tax Exposure Estimator
estate
Estimates your potential federal estate-tax exposure by comparing your projected taxable estate to the applicable exemption, as published in the IRS estate-tax rules.
Estate & Gift
See how much of your legacy reaches the people you love — before the tax code takes its cut.
Estate and gift planning is about clarity, not fear. We help you understand where your estate stands against current federal thresholds and how lifetime gifting shapes what passes to the next generation. The earlier you map it, the more options you keep.
Who it’s for
Families, business owners, and individuals with appreciating assets who want to pass wealth on with intention rather than chance.
Why it works
People act when they can see the gap between what they have and what their heirs would actually receive — a clear picture turns a vague worry into a concrete plan.
The estate & gift toolkit
2 calculators, one practice area.
Each runs in the visitor’s browser, shows a real answer instantly, then routes a lead to the firm. No sign-up, nothing stored.
Annual / Lifetime Gift-Tax Estimator
estate
Shows how annual exclusion gifts and lifetime transfers interact, drawing on the federal gift-tax framework administered by the IRS.
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See your estimate for yourself.
This is the real tool your visitors would use, recolored to your firm.
Illustrative federal estimate using the 2026 $15M exemption. Ignores portability of a deceased spouse's exemption, state estate/inheritance taxes, and the graduated rate schedule. Not legal or tax advice. This is an illustrative estimate for general informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice, it does not create an attorney–client relationship, and it is not a quote, promise, prediction, or guarantee of any benefit, amount, eligibility, deadline, or outcome. Figures are based on published government sources as of the date shown and change over time; results may not reflect current law or the facts of your situation. Do not rely on this tool — consult a licensed attorney before taking or refraining from any action.
How it works
From curious to qualified, in three steps.
01
Estimate
Add up your assets and liabilities to get a working picture of your taxable estate.
02
Compare
Measure that estate against the federal exemption in effect for the year, per the IRS estate-tax rules.
03
Plan
Explore gifting, trusts, and timing strategies with counsel to narrow any exposure.
The key numbers
The verified figures behind the math.
Every calculator draws on published government sources, dated and monitored. These are the current ones for estate & gift.
$15,000,000
2026 federal estate & gift exemption (per individual)
As of 2026 · One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025); IRS 2026 inflation adjustments — confirmed by Morgan Lewis summary
40%
Top estate-tax rate
As of 2026 · IRC §2001(c) — top marginal estate-tax rate
$19,000
2026 annual gift-tax exclusion (per donee)
As of 2026 · IRS 2026 inflation adjustments
Common questions
Estate & Gift — answered.
Will my family owe federal estate tax?
Most estates fall well under the federal exemption and owe nothing, but large or rapidly appreciating estates can approach the line. A clear estimate against the IRS estate-tax thresholds tells you whether to plan further.
What’s the difference between estate tax and inheritance tax?
The federal estate tax is assessed on the estate itself before assets are distributed; an inheritance tax, where a state imposes one, falls on the people who receive assets. There is no federal inheritance tax.
Do I have to file a gift-tax return for everyday gifts?
Gifts within the annual exclusion generally don’t require a return, while larger gifts are typically reported and applied against your lifetime amount under the IRS gift-tax rules. Reporting a gift is not the same as owing tax on it.
Does my spouse change the math?
Transfers between U.S.-citizen spouses are generally unlimited, and a surviving spouse may be able to use a deceased spouse’s unused exemption. These provisions can meaningfully shift your planning, so they’re worth reviewing with counsel.
Why plan now if the exemption is high today?
Exemption levels are set by law and can change as legislation sunsets or is revised. Planning while thresholds are favorable preserves choices you might not have later.
Why it’s built this way
Numbers you can stand behind.
Official sources only
Every figure traces to a federal or state primary source — VA, SSA, IRS, USCIS, the U.S. Trustee — with its effective date shown.
Attorney-reviewed
Tools are reviewed by a licensed attorney and ship as illustrative information, never as advice or a guarantee.
Always current
Monitored on each source’s own cadence — annual COLA, quarterly IRS interest, and so on — so a stale number can’t linger.
Zero retention
The math runs in the visitor’s browser. No claimant data is stored unless they choose to send it to the firm.
Related practice areas
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This is an illustrative estimate for general informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice, it does not create an attorney–client relationship, and it is not a quote, promise, prediction, or guarantee of any benefit, amount, eligibility, deadline, or outcome. Figures are based on published government sources as of the date shown and change over time; results may not reflect current law or the facts of your situation. Do not rely on this tool — consult a licensed attorney before taking or refraining from any action.