IRS to raise US estate and gift tax limit to $15.48 million — CNBC Top News

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has set the basic federal estate and gift tax exemption for 2027 at $15.48 million per person. In 2026, this figure stands at $15 million.

As CNBC reports, the exemption applies to tax-free transfers of property both during a person's lifetime and after their death. At the same time, US states may have lower thresholds for estate or inheritance taxes.

Indexation for 2027

The IRS has also updated dozens of other tax parameters for 2027. In particular, the changes concern federal income tax brackets, capital gains tax brackets, and eligibility for the tax credit for low-income workers.

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The adjustments were made to account for inflation amid rising costs of housing, food, gasoline, and other everyday expenses for Americans.

How many families pay the tax

Under current law, the federal estate tax applies to few families. According to an estimate by the Tax Policy Center think tank, about 6,890 federal estate tax returns will be filed in 2026, of which approximately 3,900 will be taxable.

According to CNBC, a change approved by Congress raised the estate and gift tax exemption to $15 million per person. Without this decision, the threshold after 2025 was to return to the 2017 level of $5 million, adjusted for inflation.