If an individual passed away and left an estate worth $1.2 million, what percentage of the assets would be subject to an estate tax under current law?

25 percent

75 percent

100 percent

0 percent

1 answer

As of my last update in October 2023, the federal estate tax applies only to estates that exceed a certain exemption threshold. For the year 2023, the federal estate tax exemption is approximately $12.92 million per individual. This means that an estate valued at $1.2 million would fall below the exemption limit.

Given that the estate is below the exemption threshold, it would not be subject to federal estate tax. Thus, the percentage of the assets subject to estate tax would be:

0 percent.

However, it’s important to consider that individual states may have their own estate tax laws with different exemption limits, so in certain states, a state-level estate tax could apply even to estates below the federal threshold.