Estate Tax on a $10,000,000 Estate
Based on the current federal exemption and no additional deductions. Use the calculator below to adjust any input.
Total Estimated Estate Tax
$0
Example
An estate valued at $10,000,000 with $0 in deductions has a taxable estate of $0 above the $13,990,000 exemption, producing an estimated federal estate tax of $0 — leaving approximately $10,000,000 for heirs.
Taxable Estate
$0
Net to Heirs
$10,000,000
Effective Rate on Full Estate
0%
Estate value, split between heirs and tax
What Is the Estate Tax?
The federal estate tax is a tax on the transfer of a deceased person's assets to their heirs, applied only to the portion of an estate's value that exceeds a large exemption amount set by Congress and adjusted for inflation most years. Because the exemption is currently over $13 million per person, the vast majority of estates owe no federal estate tax at all.
Some states also levy their own estate or inheritance tax, often with a much lower exemption than the federal amount — meaning a mid-sized estate could owe state estate tax even while owing nothing federally.
Federal Estate Tax by Estate Value
Using your current exemption and deductions, here's how the federal estate tax scales across a range of estate values.
| Estate Value | Federal Estate Tax |
|---|---|
| $5,000,000 | $0 |
| $10,000,000 | $0 |
| $15,000,000 | $404,000 |
| $20,000,000 | $2,404,000 |
| $25,000,000 | $4,404,000 |
| $50,000,000 | $14,404,000 |
| $100,000,000 | $34,404,000 |
How Is Estate Tax Calculated?
The taxable estate equals the gross estate value, plus any prior taxable gifts, minus deductions and the exemption amount. The excess above zero is taxed at a flat 40% — the top federal rate — since the graduated brackets below that only span the first $1 million of a taxable estate, which is already fully absorbed by the multi-million-dollar exemption for virtually every taxable estate today.
Federal Tax = Taxable Estate × 40%
Why Prior Gifts Count Against the Exemption
The federal gift tax and estate tax share a single "unified" lifetime exemption. Large gifts made during life above the annual exclusion use up part of that same exemption, reducing how much remains available to shelter the estate at death.
The Exemption Is Temporary — and Large
The current multi-million-dollar exemption reflects a temporary law that is scheduled to be reduced roughly by half after 2025 unless Congress acts to extend it, which is why the exemption field here is editable rather than hardcoded — the right number to use depends on which year's law applies.
State Estate Taxes Can Apply at Much Lower Thresholds
Roughly a dozen states and the District of Columbia levy their own estate tax, several with exemptions well under $10 million and rates that vary by bracket rather than a single flat rate. If you live in one of these states, the state tax fields let you approximate that additional liability separately from the federal calculation.
Example — Your Current Inputs
An estate valued at $10,000,000 with $0 in deductions has a taxable estate of $0 above the $13,990,000 exemption, producing an estimated federal estate tax of $0 — leaving approximately $10,000,000 for heirs.
Additional Example — A $20 Million Estate
A $20 million estate with no deductions and the 2025 exemption of $13.99 million has a taxable estate of about $6.01 million, producing an estimated federal estate tax of roughly $2.4 million — leaving about $17.6 million for heirs.
About These Parameters
- Gross Estate Value & Deductions
- Gross estate value is the total fair market value of everything owned at death. Deductions include debts, funeral and administrative costs, and amounts passing to a spouse or charity, all of which reduce the taxable estate.
- Prior Taxable Gifts & Exemption
- Prior taxable gifts use up part of the same lifetime exemption applied at death. The exemption amount should match the tax year you're estimating for, since it changes with inflation adjustments and legislation.
- State Exemption & Rate
- Only relevant if your state levies its own estate tax. Leave both at 0 if your state has no separate estate or inheritance tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do most people owe estate tax?
No — because the federal exemption is currently over $13 million per person (and effectively doubled for married couples with proper planning), the vast majority of estates owe no federal estate tax at all.
Is this the same as inheritance tax?
No — estate tax is paid by the estate itself before assets are distributed. Inheritance tax, levied by a handful of states, is paid by the heir receiving the assets and is not modeled by this calculator.
Can the exemption change?
Yes — the exemption is adjusted for inflation most years and can also change through legislation. This calculator lets you edit the exemption field to model a different year's figure.