IRS Lifts 2027 Estate and Gift Tax Exemption to $15.48 Million
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Nov 5
IRS Lifts 2027 Estate and Gift Tax Exemption to $15.48 Million
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Nov 5
Summary
$15.48 million per person will be the 2027 federal estate and gift tax exemption, up from $15 million in 2026 under the IRS's annual inflation adjustment.
The higher basic exclusion amount covers tax-free transfers made during life and at death, while the agency also raised 2027 figures for income-tax brackets, capital-gains brackets and earned income tax credit eligibility.
Trump's tax bill had locked in a $15 million exemption; without that congressional change, the threshold would have fallen after 2025 to 2017's $5 million level plus inflation, prompting earlier estate-planning moves by wealthy families.
Few households face the federal levy even now: the Tax Policy Center estimates about 6,890 estate tax returns will be filed for 2026, with roughly 3,900 taxable, though some states impose lower estate or inheritance tax thresholds.