Estate Tax Calculator
Free 2026 estate tax calculator. Estimate federal estate tax with the $15M basic exclusion amount, graduated 18-40% rates, portability election, and taxable estate breakdown.
Generation-Skipping Tax Calculator
Free generation-skipping transfer tax (GST) worksheet. Model GST liability using a scenario exemption amount and a flat reference rate.
$
$13.61M (2024) / $13.99M (2025)
$
$
Additional estate or gift tax on same transfer
$
GST Worksheet Amount⧉
$2,556,000.00
40% reference rate on taxable amount
Taxable Amount⧉
$6,390,000.00
Transfer ($20,000,000.00) minus exemption ($13,610,000.00)
Effective GST Rate⧉
12.78%
GST tax as % of total transfer
Net to Recipient⧉
$17,444,000.00
Transfer amount minus GST tax
Combined Tax Burden⧉
$2,556,000.00
GST + estate/gift tax = 12.78% total
Exemption Utilization⧉
100.00%
$13,610,000.00 remaining after prior use
Effective Tax Rate
0% (Exempt)20%40% (Max)50%+
Worksheet Breakdown
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross Transfer Value | $20,000,000.00 |
| GST Exemption Applied | ($13,610,000.00) |
| Taxable Amount | $6,390,000.00 |
| GST Rate | 40% |
| GST Tax Due | $2,556,000.00 |
| Net to Skip Beneficiary | $17,444,000.00 |
Skip vs. No-Skip Comparison
| Strategy | Total Tax | Net to Grandchild |
|---|---|---|
| No Skip (Parent → Child → Grandchild) | $4,089,600.00 | $15,910,400.00 |
| Generation Skip (Direct to Grandchild) | $2,556,000.00 | $17,444,000.00 |
| Savings from Skipping | $1,533,600.00 | |
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates only. The GST tax is complex and interacts with estate and gift taxes. Consult a qualified estate planning attorney or CPA for personalized advice.
Planning notes, formulas, and examples
About the Generation-Skipping Tax Calculator
The generation-skipping transfer tax (GST) applies to transfers that skip a generation, such as gifts or bequests from grandparents directly to grandchildren. The worksheet below models that transfer using the exemption scenario you select or enter.
Because GST exemption amounts and related rules can change over time, this page is designed as a scenario worksheet rather than a live law lookup. It can help compare multigenerational transfer ideas using the exemption assumption you want to test.
Use the result as a planning estimate and confirm the actual rule set before acting on any transfer.
When This Page Helps
Multigenerational wealth planning requires understanding how exemption assumptions change the worksheet result. This page helps compare scenarios instead of claiming to publish a live law table.
How to Use the Inputs
- Choose an exemption scenario or enter your own exemption amount.
- Enter the total transfer amount to skip persons.
- Review the taxable amount and worksheet GST amount.
- Compare direct-skip and no-skip scenarios if needed.
Formula used
Worksheet GST = (Transfer Amount − Exemption Scenario) × 40%
Reference amounts shown on the page are scenario inputs, not live law claimsExample Calculation
Result: $2,000,000 GST tax
Transfer of $20,000,000 to grandchildren minus $15,000,000 GST exemption = $5,000,000 taxable. GST tax: $5,000,000 × 40% = $2,000,000.
Tips & Best Practices
- Allocate GST exemption carefully — once used, it cannot be recovered.
- Dynasty trusts can shelter assets from GST tax for multiple generations.
- Use the exemption scenario that matches your planning assumption.
- Married couples may have separate exemptions depending on how the transfer is structured.
- Direct payments for education or medical expenses may be treated differently from taxable transfers.
- If the law changes, rerun the worksheet with the updated exemption assumption.
Three Types of Generation-Skipping Transfers
Direct skip: transfer directly to a skip person. Taxable distribution: distribution from a trust to a skip person. Taxable termination: trust assets pass to skip persons when the trust terminates. Each type can affect who bears the tax and when the worksheet amount applies.
Planning Strategies
Common planning ideas include using both spouses' exemptions where available, allocating exemption to trusts expected to grow most, making direct tuition and medical payments where permitted, using annual exclusion gifts, and evaluating dynasty trusts where those are allowed.
Scenario Use
Because GST law and exemption amounts can change, the safest way to use this page is to select or enter the scenario you want to compare and treat the output as a planning estimate rather than a current-law guarantee.
Sources & Methodology
Last updated:
Methodology
This page is a generation-skipping transfer worksheet, not a current-law ruling. It applies the transfer amount and the exemption scenario you enter, then multiplies the taxable amount by the worksheet rate. The page is designed for multigenerational planning comparisons and should not be treated as a live GST determination.
Sources
- What's new - Estate and gift tax (Internal Revenue Service) — Official IRS update on 2026 estate, gift, and GST-related transfer tax thresholds.
- Publication 559 (2025), Survivors, Executors, and Administrators (Internal Revenue Service) — Official IRS background on generation-skipping transfer tax and exemption allocation.
- Instructions for Form 706-GS(T) (12/2025) (Internal Revenue Service) — Official filing guidance for generation-skipping transfer tax returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
A skip person is a person two or more generations below the transferor (e.g., grandchild) or a trust where all beneficiaries are skip persons. If the middle generation (e.g., child) is deceased, a grandchild is not a skip person for GST purposes.
Yes. A transfer to a grandchild can be subject to both estate tax and GST tax. This double taxation is why the GST exemption is so important — combined rates can approach 64% without proper planning.
A dynasty trust is designed to last for many generations, sheltering assets from estate and GST tax at each generational transfer. The trust pays income to beneficiaries but keeps principal protected. Some states allow perpetual trusts.
Often yes, depending on the transfer structure and the exemption assumptions used. Common planning methods include using the GST exemption, certain direct tuition or medical payments, and other structured transfers, but the actual treatment depends on the governing rules.
Unused GST exemption is not portable between spouses (unlike the estate tax exemption in some cases). Each spouse must affirmatively allocate their own GST exemption. Unused exemption is lost at death.
GST exemption can be allocated on gift tax returns for lifetime transfers or automatically at death. Strategic allocation to trusts with the greatest growth potential can improve the worksheet result, but actual allocation rules should be confirmed separately.
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