Gift & Estate Tax Calculator 2026
Federal gift tax on this year's gifts (the $19,000 annual exclusion, gift-splitting, lifetime exemption used) and federal estate tax on an estate (marital and charitable deductions, portability, the $15,000,000 exemption and 40% rate) — figures confirmed against Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
In short
In 2026 you can give $19,000 per recipient ($38,000 per couple) without filing a gift-tax return; larger gifts use up the $15,000,000 lifetime exemption (indexed, permanent under the 2025 law) rather than costing tax. Estates above the exemption, after debts, the unlimited marital and charitable deductions and any portability from a deceased spouse, pay 40% federal estate tax; twelve states and DC levy their own at lower thresholds.
Who this is for: Americans making large gifts or planning an estate, and executors estimating federal estate tax.
US gift and estate tax in 2026
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Annual gift exclusion | $19,000 per recipient ($38,000 for a couple gift-splitting) |
| Gifts to a non-citizen spouse | $194,000 |
| Lifetime exemption (gifts + estate) | $15,000,000 per person |
| Top rate above the exemption | 40% |
| Unlimited | Gifts and bequests to a US-citizen spouse or charity; direct tuition and medical payments |
- Gifts above the annual exclusion are reported on Form 709 and reduce the lifetime exemption; no tax is paid until the exemption is used up.
- The estate tax base is the taxable estate plus lifetime taxable gifts; the exemption (plus any ported from a deceased spouse) is subtracted and 40% applies to the rest.
- Twelve states and DC levy estate tax with exemptions from about $1 million to $13 million; six states levy inheritance tax on recipients.
See also: 529 College Savings Calculator, US Capital Gains Tax Calculator 2026 (Stocks, Crypto, Property).
Assumptions
- Gifts: taxable gift = amount − $19,000 (× 2 if splitting) per recipient; exemption used reduces what is left, tax only above $15,000,000 lifetime.
- Estate: taxable estate = gross − debts − marital − charitable; tax = 40% × amount above (exemption − prior gifts + DSUE), a simplification of the unified credit computation.
- State estate tax applied at a flat rate to the taxable estate if entered.
Worked example
Gifts: $19,000 per child is excluded, so $31,000 × 2 = $62,000 of taxable gifts go on Form 709 and reduce the lifetime exemption to $14,938,000 — no tax due. Estate: taxable estate $15.7 million; above the $15 million exemption by $700,000 → $280,000 federal estate tax (1.6% of the gross estate). Had the person made the $62,000 of gifts, the exemption left would be $14.938 million and the tax $304,800.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I gift tax-free in 2026?
$19,000 to each recipient ($38,000 per couple) without filing; larger gifts just use part of the $15 million lifetime exemption. Tuition and medical bills paid directly are unlimited.
Does the recipient pay tax on a gift?
No — gifts are not income to the recipient, and any gift tax is the donor's.
What is the estate tax exemption for 2026?
$15 million per person, $30 million for a married couple with portability, with 40% on the excess.
Can I avoid estate tax by giving everything away before death?
Taxable gifts are added back to the estate tax base, so the exemption covers both together; the levers are annual-exclusion gifts, direct tuition and medical payments, charity and trusts.
Do I pay tax on gifts above $19,000?
Almost never — you file Form 709 and the excess reduces your $15,000,000 lifetime exemption; tax is due only once the exemption is exhausted.
What is portability?
A surviving spouse can inherit the deceased spouse's unused exemption (DSUE) by filing an estate tax return within five years, potentially sheltering $30 million per couple.
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