Federal Estate Tax Exemption Amounts
The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) increased the unified credit, i.e. the amount of a decedent’s assets which are exempt from federal estate tax. For the year 2010, the federal estate tax is abolished. The exclusion amounts are as follows:
Year of Death Exclusion Amount
2001 $675,000
2002& 2003 1,000,000
2004& 2005 1,500,000
2006, 2007 & 2008 2,000,000
2009 3,500,000
2010 & 2011 5,000,000
2012 5,120,000
2013 5,250,000
2014 5,340,000
2015 5,430,000
2016 5,450,000
2017 5,490,000
2018 11,180,000
2019 11,400,000
2020 11,580,000
2021 11,700,000
2022 12,060,000
2023 12,920,000
2024 13,610,000
2025 13,990,000
Beginning January 1, 2011, estates of decedents survived by a spouse may elect to pass any of the decedent’s unused exemption to the surviving spouse. This election is made on a timely filed estate tax return for the decedent with a surviving spouse.
See: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estate-tax
Rev. 2/25