Disclaimer: General educational research only — not legal or tax advice. Figures for 2011 to 2026 are from the IRS. The 2027 figures are our own unofficial projection and are not IRS numbers.
Estate Planning Data & Research → Estate and Gift Tax Limits by Year
The federal estate and gift tax exclusions have changed almost every year since 2011, and in 2018 they roughly doubled. This page lays out the full run of numbers in one table, adds the same amounts in 2026 dollars so you can see what actually changed, and shows how the 2027 amounts will be set, with an unofficial projection clearly labeled as such.
This is a “numbers over time” companion to our guides on the federal estate tax exemption and the gift tax and annual exclusions. Those pages explain how the exemptions work and what changed for 2026. This one adds the inflation-adjusted comparison and the 2027 outlook.
Whether you hold assets in a trust or pass them by will affects probate and control, and sometimes how an estate is administered for tax. If you’re weighing the two, compare a trust and a will here.
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Cite this page URL when reusing findings. Not a substitute for official sources or professional advice.
Key findings
- The basic exclusion amount rose from $5,000,000 in 2011 to $15,000,000 in 2026 (IRS). That is three times the 2011 level in nominal dollars.
- In 2026 dollars, the 2011 amount was about $7.1 million. So after adjusting for inflation, the 2026 exclusion is about 2.1 times the 2011 exclusion. Most of the real increase happened in one step: 2018, when the amount went from $5,490,000 to $11,180,000 (+103.6%).
- The 2026 increase was +7.2%, the largest year-over-year change since 2018. The 2026 amount was set by statute at $15,000,000 (Public Law 119-21), not by the usual inflation formula.
- The annual gift tax exclusion went from $13,000 in 2011 to $19,000 in 2026, and it was unchanged between 2025 and 2026. A married couple splitting gifts can give $38,000 per recipient in 2026 without a gift tax return for that gift.
- Our unofficial projection for 2027 is a basic exclusion of about $15.46 to $15.48 million. It is a projection from inflation data, not an IRS figure. The IRS typically publishes the next year’s amounts in the fall.
Estate and gift tax limits, 2011 to 2026
| Year | Basic exclusion amount | Change from prior year | Same amount in 2026 dollars (see note) | Annual gift exclusion | Couple splitting gifts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | $5,000,000 | — | $7,100,000 | $13,000 | $26,000 |
| 2012 | $5,120,000 | 2.4% | $7,140,000 | $13,000 | $26,000 |
| 2013 | $5,250,000 | 2.5% | $7,230,000 | $14,000 | $28,000 |
| 2014 | $5,340,000 | 1.7% | $7,250,000 | $14,000 | $28,000 |
| 2015 | $5,430,000 | 1.7% | $7,380,000 | $14,000 | $28,000 |
| 2016 | $5,450,000 | 0.4% | $7,340,000 | $14,000 | $28,000 |
| 2017 | $5,490,000 | 0.7% | $7,260,000 | $14,000 | $28,000 |
| 2018 | $11,180,000 | 103.6% | $14,500,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| 2019 | $11,400,000 | 2.0% | $14,570,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| 2020 | $11,580,000 | 1.6% | $14,640,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| 2021 | $11,700,000 | 1.0% | $14,160,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| 2022 | $12,060,000 | 3.1% | $13,560,000 | $16,000 | $32,000 |
| 2023 | $12,920,000 | 7.1% | $13,980,000 | $17,000 | $34,000 |
| 2024 | $13,610,000 | 5.3% | $14,360,000 | $18,000 | $36,000 |
| 2025 | $13,990,000 | 2.8% | $14,400,000 | $19,000 | $38,000 |
| 2026 | $15,000,000 | 7.2% | $15,000,000 | $19,000 | $38,000 |
Note on the real-dollar column. Our calculation: each year’s amount scaled by the chained consumer price index for all urban consumers (C-CPI-U) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using the calendar-year average for each year and the January to August average for 2026. Illustrative, rounded to the nearest $10,000. October 2025 has no published index value, so the 2025 average uses 11 months.
Source for the exclusion amounts: IRS, “What’s New — Estate and gift tax,” page reviewed July 23, 2026. The basic exclusion amount is for the year of death; the annual exclusion is for the year of gift.
What the numbers mean
The basic exclusion amount is the amount a person can pass on at death, or give during life above the annual exclusion, before federal estate or gift tax applies. The same lifetime amount covers both. Amounts above it are generally taxed at the top federal rate (40%, 26 U.S.C. § 2001(c)).
The annual exclusion is the amount a person can give to each recipient in a year without those gifts counting against the lifetime amount or requiring a gift tax return for that gift. It is the same dollar amount for each recipient.
The jump in 2018 came from the 2017 tax law (Pub. L. 115-97, § 11061), which added a temporary doubling of the basic exclusion amount. The 2026 amount of $15,000,000 comes from Public Law 119-21 (the Working Families Tax Cuts Bill, signed July 4, 2025), which amended the Internal Revenue Code so that the basic exclusion amount is $15,000,000 for 2026. Both the estate and gift tax amounts are tied together, so the table shows one basic exclusion amount for each year.
How the 2027 amounts will be set
The law sets the 2027 amounts by formula. We read the statute and reproduce the method here.
- Basic exclusion amount. Under 26 U.S.C. § 2010(c)(3), the amount is $15,000,000 increased by the inflation adjustment in section 1(f)(3), using 2025 as the base year, and rounded to the nearest multiple of $10,000.
- Inflation measure. Section 1(f) uses the chained CPI-U (C-CPI-U). The “calendar year” value is the average of the index over the 12-month period that ends August 31 of that year.
- Annual exclusion. Under 26 U.S.C. § 2503(b), the $10,000 base is adjusted for inflation from 1997 and rounded down to the next lower multiple of $1,000.
Unofficial 2027 projection
Using the BLS chained CPI-U series as published through FRED, the average for September 2025 to August 2026 is about 3.2% above the average for September 2024 to August 2025. Applied to $15,000,000, that gives about $15.48 million (rounds to $15,480,000). October 2025 has no published index value. If that month is filled in by averaging the months on either side, the result is about $15.46 million. We therefore show a range of $15.46 to $15.48 million.
For the annual exclusion, the same 3.2% growth applied to the unrounded 2026 amount would give either $19,000 or $20,000. The IRS publishes only the rounded $19,000, so we cannot tell which from public sources. We do not give a single figure.
These projections are not IRS numbers. The IRS announces the official 2027 amounts in a revenue procedure, usually in the fall. When it does, we will replace this section with the official figures.
Reading the table
- Real vs. nominal. Between 2011 and 2017 the amount in 2026 dollars stayed within about $7.1 to $7.4 million. The 2018 step put it at about $14.5 million. After that, in real terms, it drifted down to about $13.6 million by 2022 as inflation outpaced the formula, and rose to $15.0 million in 2026.
- The ratio of lifetime to annual amounts is roughly 375 to 395 for 2011 to 2017 and 735 to 790 from 2018 on. Put differently, in 2026 the lifetime amount equals about 789 years of one annual exclusion.
- State taxes are separate. Some states have their own estate or inheritance taxes with much lower thresholds. See state estate taxes and how many estates owe federal estate tax.
What this means if you’re planning
- Check the year of death or of the gift. The amount that applies depends on the year of death (for the estate) and the year of the gift (for the annual exclusion).
- Watch for the 2027 announcement. If the IRS publishes a number different from our projection, rely on the IRS.
- Remember that the exclusion is not the whole picture. The amounts here are federal. State rules, portability for married couples, and basis rules can matter as much. See the step-up in basis by state and estate tax exposure by state.
Related: Federal estate tax exemption · Gift tax and annual exclusions · Estate tax planning
Related research: state estate and inheritance tax collections by state shows states collected $6.89 billion in death and gift taxes in FY2024, down 13% from FY2023.
Methodology
Exclusion amounts. IRS, “What’s New — Estate and gift tax” (irs.gov), page last reviewed July 23, 2026: the table of basic exclusion amounts for year of death 2011 to 2026 and annual exclusions for year of gift 2011 to 2026. We copied the values and did not recompute them.
Real-dollar column. Our calculation: BEA × (C-CPI-U average for 2026 ÷ C-CPI-U average for year). C-CPI-U is BLS series SUUR0000SA0 (not seasonally adjusted), retrieved from FRED on Oct. 11, 2026. Calendar-year averages; 2025 uses 11 months (no October 2025 value was published) and 2026 uses January to August (8 months). This is a simplified deflator for illustration, not the statutory formula.
2027 projection. Statute text for 26 U.S.C. §§ 2010(c)(3), 2503(b) and 1(f) from Cornell’s Legal Information Institute. Index values as published by BLS via FRED, with the September to August windows described above.
What this doesn’t cover. Estate tax returns filed or taxes paid (see estate tax statistics), state thresholds, or generation-skipping tax amounts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal estate tax exemption for 2026?
$15,000,000 per person, per the IRS. This is the basic exclusion amount for people who die in 2026. It is also the lifetime gift tax amount.
What is the annual gift tax exclusion for 2026?
$19,000 per recipient, the same as 2025.
What will the 2027 exemption be?
The IRS has not announced it as of Oct. 11, 2026. Our unofficial projection from inflation data is about $15.46 to $15.48 million. Check the IRS “What’s New” page for the official number.
Why did the exemption jump in 2018?
The 2017 tax law (Pub. L. 115-97, § 11061) increased the basic exclusion amount starting in 2018. The table shows it going from $5,490,000 in 2017 to $11,180,000 in 2018.
Is this tax advice?
No. It is educational research. A tax professional or estate planning attorney can apply the rules to your situation.
Sources
Public-domain government data only. – IRS, What’s New — Estate and gift tax (page reviewed 23-Jul-2026; fetched 2026-10-11): https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/whats-new-estate-and-gift-tax — basic exclusion amounts 2011–2026, annual exclusions 2011–2026, WFTC (P.L. 119-21) $15,000,000 for 2026. Saved – 26 U.S.C. § 2010(c)(3) (basic exclusion amount; 2025 base year; round to nearest $10,000): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/2010 – 26 U.S.C. § 2503(b) (annual exclusion; 1997 base; round down to $1,000): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/2503 – 26 U.S.C. § 1(f) (C-CPI-U; 12 months ending Aug 31): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/1 – 26 U.S.C. § 2001(c) (40% top rate): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/2001 – BLS Chained CPI-U (series SUUR0000SA0, NSA) via FRED API, observations 2010–Aug 2026, retrieved 2026-10-11: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SUUR0000SA0 . – Existing FEG pages reviewed to avoid duplication (WP REST GET, read-only): /estate-tax-exemption/ (already has a 1997–2026 by-year table and annual exclusion by year), /estate-tax-planning/gift-tax-and-annual-exclusions/, /estate-tax-statistics/, /estate-tax-exposure/.
Cite this data
Family Estate Guide, “Estate and Gift Tax Limits by Year: 2011 to 2026, in Real Dollars, and a 2027 Projection,” October 2026. https://familyestateguide.com/estate-planning-data/estate-gift-tax-limits-by-year/
You’re welcome to reuse the table with a link back to this page. IRS and BLS data are public.
Published October 11, 2026 by Family Estate Guide. Data vintage: IRS What’s New (reviewed July 23, 2026); BLS C-CPI-U through August 2026. 2027 figures are unofficial. Editorial standards.