Yes, nieces and nephews often have to pay state-level inheritance tax on assets received from a deceased aunt or uncle, as they are typically considered "collateral heirs" rather than direct descendants. While no federal inheritance tax exists, six states (Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) impose it, with rates for nieces/nephews often ranging from 4% to 16% depending on the state and amount.
If any of the deceased's siblings have died before them leaving children (the deceased's nieces/nephews), then those nieces/nephews will inherit their parent's share of the estate. If any of those nieces/nephews have also died before the deceased, their own children will inherit in their place.
In general, any inheritance you receive does not need to be reported to the IRS. You typically don't need to report inheritance money to the IRS because inheritances aren't considered taxable income by the federal government. That said, earnings made off of the inheritance may need to be reported.
To transfer property to children while minimizing taxes, consider estate planning tools like trusts or gifting strategies. Consult a qualified estate attorney to explore options such as lifetime gifts within tax exemption limits or establishing a trust to manage assets.
Give more money away
Lifetime gifting is a straightforward way to begin reducing your IHT bill. By gifting money during lifetime, that would have been part of an inheritance anyway, you reduce the size of your estate so that there is smaller amount subject to IHT on your death.
There are several ways to transfer property to a child tax-free, including leaving it in a will, gifting it using lifetime and annual exclusions, selling it, or placing it in an irrevocable trust.
In 2025, the first $13,990,000 of an estate is exempt from federal estate taxes, up from $13,610,000 in 2024. Estate taxes are based on the size of the estate. It's a progressive tax, just like the federal income tax system. This means that the larger the estate, the higher the tax rate it is subject to.
Charity exemption
Like the spousal exemption, assets passing to charity on death are exempt from inheritance tax. As such, if an entire estate passes to charity, there will be no inheritance tax due.
Spouses are typically exempt from inheritance tax, as are some other “close” relatives. More distant relatives from the deceased individual, like nieces, nephews and cousins, may be subject to the inheritance tax, and most non-relatives will have to pay the tax.
The U.S. tax code makes it fairly easy to give your children money, stocks or other investments or a piece of the family business. You can transfer up to a certain amount during your lifetime as a gift or at death through a will or revocable trust, free from federal gift and estate taxes.
Favourite Niece/Nephew Relief is a provision under Irish tax law that elevates certain nieces or nephews into Group A for CAT purposes, instead of the standard Group B. By moving from Group B to Group A, a qualifying niece or nephew can receive over €360,000 extra tax-free, massively reducing their tax exposure.
Your Heirs Are Your Closest Living Relatives
Your heirs are your spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, grandparents and so on, and in essentially that order.
Yes, you can likely give your daughter $50,000 tax-free by using your annual gift exclusion and lifetime exemption, but you'll need to file Form 709 with the IRS to report the gift exceeding the annual limit ($19,000 in 2024/2025). The $50,000 gift reduces your large lifetime exemption (over $13 million in 2024/2025), meaning you won't pay tax on it unless your total lifetime gifts exceed that huge amount; your daughter never pays gift tax on the money.
Yes, you can gift your son $100,000, but since it's over the 2025 annual exclusion of $19,000, you'll need to file a gift tax return (Form 709), though you likely won't owe taxes unless you've already used up your large lifetime exemption (over $13.99 million in 2025). Your son pays no tax on the gift, but you, as the giver, must report the amount exceeding the annual limit, which counts against your lifetime exemption.
You can typically inherit a very large amount from your parents without paying federal tax, as the federal estate tax exemption is around $15 million per person for 2026, meaning only estates larger than that pay tax, not you directly. While you generally don't pay income tax on inheritances (except for pre-tax retirement funds like IRAs/401(k)s, which are taxed as income when withdrawn), some states have their own estate or inheritance taxes with much lower thresholds, affecting a smaller portion of wealth.
CGT doesn't usually apply at the time you inherit the dwelling, however it will apply when you later sell or dispose of the dwelling, unless an exemption applies. if you dispose of the inherited property within 2 years (or the within an extension period) of the deceased person's death.
Yes, but it comes with major risks. Tax risk: The IRS will treat the difference between the home's market value (e.g., $500,000) and the $1 sale price as a gift, which may require filing a gift tax return.
If you want to pass your property to your kids after you pass away, Sullivan says it's generally better to do so through a revocable living trust, which allows you to name children as successor trustees allowing for continuity of property management.