States With Inheritance Tax

Plus, learn the difference between inheritance and estate tax.

By Michael Keenan Jan 6, 2021 Taxes 101

As if losing a loved one weren’t hard enough, you might also have to add “death tax” on the property that you receive from the estate — depending on where you live — in addition to all the other costs of death.

Learn: How To Reduce Your Estate Taxes

First off, what is inheritance tax? The answer varies based on the laws in each state, so consult an attorney or accountant in your state to find out exactly how your inheritance will be taxed.

Which States Have Inheritance Tax

Here are the six states with inheritance tax:

Iowa
Kentucky
Nebraska
New Jersey
Maryland
Pennsylvania

Check out the following table to see state taxes on inheritance, and read on to find out what you need to know about inheritance tax so you can better understand complex death-related expenses.

States With Inheritance Tax
State	Tax Rates	Exempt Assets	Exempt Beneficiaries	Due Date
Iowa	5% to 15%	Estates worth less than $25,000; Life insurance policies paid to named beneficiaries	Parents and lineal ancestors, spouses, children, stepchildren and lineal descendants	9 months after death
Kentucky	4% to 16%	Inheritances of $1,000 or less for nieces, nephews, children-in-law, aunts, uncles, great-grandchildren; Life insurance paid to the insured or to the estate	Spouse, parents, children, grandchildren, siblings and half-siblings	18 months after death, 5% discount if paid within 9 months
Maryland	Up to 16%	Inheritances worth less than $1,000, Life insurance paid to a named beneficiary; Bequest of a primary residence to those listed as exempt beneficiaries — as well as a corporation, partnership and limited liability company; Up to $500 grave maintenance	Parents, stepparents and other lineal ancestors, spouse, children and other lineal descendants, stepchildren and siblings	Determined by Registrar of Wills for the county where the decedent lived or owned property
Nebraska	1% to 18%	The First $10,000 to $40,000 per beneficiary, depending on the class of beneficiary; Life insurance paid to a named beneficiary under an employee benefit plan; Real property owned outside of Nebraska; Limited amounts under the homestead allowance; Family allowance; Certain personal property given to a surviving spouse and children	Spouse	Within 12 months of death
New Jersey	11% to 16%	Inheritances worth less than $500; Life insurance paid to a named beneficiary; Certain state and federal government retirement plans	Spouse, civil union partner, domestic partner, child or lineal descendants, parent or lineal ancestor, stepchildren; plus qualified charities, religious institutions, the State of New Jersey	8 months after the date of death
Pennsylvania	4.5% to 15%	Certain farmland; Retirement plans that cannot be accessed without penalty	Surviving spouses, a child aged 21 or younger, charitable organizations, exempt institutions and government entities that are exempt from tax	9 months after death; 5% discount if paid within 3 months

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How Much Is Inheritance Tax?

Inheritance taxes vary from state to state, including which transfers are exempt from estate taxes entirely. For example, Pennsylvania exempts not only transfers to spouses and charities, but also children under 21 years old. So, if you’re 20 and your sibling is 22 when your parent dies, you wouldn’t owe any inheritance tax, but your sibling would.

Only Nebraska imposes an inheritance tax on all children, with certain exceptions for minors or dependents, with Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland and New Jersey exempting children entirely. All states exempt spouses for inheritance tax, and New Jersey also makes specific reference to certain civil union partners and domestic partners.

In addition, states often impose different tax rates depending on who is inheriting the money. For example, Iowa charges an inheritance tax between 5% and 10% for siblings and children-in-law, between 10% and 15% for more distant relatives, and 15% for for-profit entities. Nebraska has one of the widest ranges of inheritance tax rates, with immediate family members like children being charged just 1% on the portion of the inheritance exceeding $40,000, up to non-family members being charged 18% on the portion of the inheritance exceeding $10,000.

Property Subject to Inheritance Tax

You’ll also find differences among the states as to which property is subject to inheritance taxes. For example, in Nebraska, the first $40,000 that you inherit is exempt from inheritance tax. Pennsylvania exempts certain transfers of farmland and agricultural property. In addition, Maryland, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and New Jersey exempt life insurance proceeds when they are paid to a named beneficiary. But, in Iowa for example, if the proceeds of the policy are paid to the estate, those proceeds are subject to tax. New Jersey also exempts certain payments from state and federal government retirement plans.

Inheritance Tax Law Changes

The federal government does not impose an inheritance tax, so the recent tax changes from the Trump administration did not affect the inheritance taxes imposed by the states. The IRS did, however, change the federal estate tax exemption from 2018 to 2019, from $11.18 million to $11.4 million. But, just because the inheritance taxes didn’t change in 2020 doesn’t mean state legislatures won’t change them going forward.

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See: Major Tax Changes for 2021 You Need To Know About

Inheritance Taxes vs. Estate Taxes

Because both are paid upon someone’s death, inheritance taxes and estate taxes are easy to confuse. The difference lies in who pays each tax: With an inheritance tax, the tax is paid by the people inheriting the money and the tax rate is often dependent on the beneficiary’s relationship to the decedent. So what is estate tax? With an estate tax, the tax is paid at the estate level prior to the money being distributed to the beneficiaries. Other than bequests to charities and a surviving spouse, which are generally exempt, estate taxes are the same regardless of who the beneficiary is.

States With Estate Taxes

Estate taxes are imposed in a handful of states, and those these taxes only apply to estates whose values are in the millions. If the estate is worth less than the state’s exemption limit, then no taxes are owed. As of 2021, 12 states and the District of Columbia have an estate tax, with Maryland imposing both an inheritance and an estate tax. Here are the states with estate tax:

Connecticut
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
New York
Oregon
Rhode Island
Washington
Vermont

The following table provides more details on the estate taxes imposed by each of these states.

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States With Estate Tax
State	Tax Rates	Exemption Limit	Due Date
Connecticut	7.2% to 12%	$2.6 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
District of Columbia	Up to 16%	$5.6 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Hawaii	10% to 15.7%	$5.34 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Illinois	Up to 16%	$4 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Maine	8% to 12%	$5.7 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Maryland	Up to 16%	$5 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Massachusetts	Up to 16%	$1 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Minnesota	12% to 16%	$2.7 million in 2019; $3 million in 2020	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
New York	3.06% to 16%	$5.74 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Oregon	10% to 16%	$1 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Rhode Island	Up to 16%	$1.5 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Washington	10% to 20%	$2.19 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death
Vermont	16%	$2.75 million	9 months after the date of the decedent’s death

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Gabrielle Olya contributed to the reporting for this article.

About the Author

Michael Keenan

Michael Keenan is a writer based in the Kansas City area, specializing in personal finance, taxation, and business topics. He has been writing since 2009 and has been published by Quicken, TurboTax and The Motley Fool.