Judy will have the pre-tax reform federal estate tax exclusion ($5 million, inflation indexed) and $11.4 million of Jim's unused federal estate tax exclusion to offset federal estate taxes. For example, let’s say that you didn’t make any gifts prior to 2018. You'll note that the title of this blog post references a temporary change. This means that individuals can gift or bequeath this amount without incurring gift or estate tax on the transfer. The current federal estate and gift tax exemption amount per individual is $11.7 million dollars ($23.4 million for a married couple). If you die in 2026 or thereafter, your estate can still base its estate tax calculation on the higher exemption amount that was effective in 2018. “The current law provides the estate tax … returns to $5 million per person (adjusted for inflation) in 2026,” Weinstein said. However, keep in mind that Congress can change the law at any time, particularly if Democrats take over the Presidency in 2020 or 2024, and the 2017 tax act is a political hotbed. When the exemption amount was $11.18 million last year, you gave your children $9 million and paid zero gift tax. The increased estate and gift tax exemption is important for avoiding the 40% gift and estate tax as well as the 40% generation-skipping transfer tax exemption. Do you have a plan in place? But nothing lasts forever. That's because the increase in the exemption is due to "sunset" as of January 1, 2026, meaning that estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions will return to their pre-2018 levels. As they now stand, those exemption amounts are currently set to increase annually through 2025. History of Federal Estate Tax Laws The landmark Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 called for a gradual increase in the estate exemption from $600,000 in … In other words, any portion of the exemption used during lifetime reduces the amount of exemption available at death for estate tax purposes. On Jan. 1, 2026 the exemptions are set to revert to … Beginning on January 1, 2026 the exemption will fall back to 2017 amounts […] When the gift and estate tax exclusion amount was increased under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, taxpayers and their advisors questioned what would happen if large lifetime gifts were made during the years of the increased exemption amount (2018–2025) and death occurred after the gift and estate tax exclusion amount reverted to lower levels (2026 and beyond) (commonly referred to as … However, if nothing is done in Congress, the current exemption amounts will sunset on December 31, 2025. The Sunset Provision of the Temporary Increase in Estate Tax Exemption. 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