Another key difference: While there is no federal inheritance tax, there is a federal estate tax. The federal estate tax generally applies to assets over $13.61 million in 2024 and $13.99 million in 2025, and the federal estate tax rate ranges from 18% to 40%.
For 2025, the federal estate tax threshold is $13.99 million for individuals, which means married couples don't have to pay estate if their estate is worth $27.98 million or less. For 2024, the threshold was $13.61 million for individuals and $27.22 million for married couples.
Federal Exemption Amount. The amount which can pass free of federal estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes (“the federal basic exclusion amount”) has increased in 2024 from $12.92 million to $13.61 million per person.
Even though you won't owe estate tax to the state of California, there is still the federal estate tax to consider. The federal estate tax goes into effect for estates valued at $13.99 million and up in 2025. This is up from $13.61 million in 2024.
In most cases, an inheritance isn't subject to income taxes. The assets passed on in an investment or bank account aren't considered taxable income, nor is life insurance. However, you could pay income taxes on the assets in pre-tax accounts.
The best way to avoid the inheritance tax is to manage assets before death. To eliminate or limit the amount of inheritance tax beneficiaries might have to pay, consider: Giving away some of your assets to potential beneficiaries before death. Each year, you can gift a certain amount to each person tax-free.
If you received a gift or inheritance, do not include it in your income. However, if the gift or inheritance later produces income, you will need to pay tax on that income.
Bottom Line. California doesn't enforce a gift tax, but you may owe a federal one. However, you can give up to $19,000 in cash or property during the 2025 tax year and up to $18,000 in the 2024 tax year without triggering a gift tax return.
An estate tax is levied on the estate of the deceased while an inheritance tax is levied on the heirs of the deceased. Only 17 states and the District of Columbia currently levy an estate or inheritance tax.
The lifetime gift/estate tax exemption is $13.61 million in 2024 and 2025. The lifetime gift/estate tax exemption is projected to be $7 million in 2026. Note: 2025 exemption does not reflect a possible inflation adjustment; 2026 exemption is projected.
Likewise, Iowa has the lowest inheritance tax rate in the nation at 2 percent, while Kentucky and New Jersey have the highest top marginal inheritance tax rate of 16 percent as of January 1, 2024.
Annual gift tax exclusion
The gift tax limit is $18,000 in 2024 and $19,000 in 2025. Note that this annual exclusion is per gift recipient. So, you could give away the limit to several different people in a single year and still not have to file a gift tax return and possibly pay the gift tax.
While the federal government doesn't impose an inheritance tax, six states do: Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. (Iowa passed a law that abolishes its inheritance tax after 2024.)
Many states assess an inheritance tax. That means that you, as the beneficiary, will have to pay taxes when you receive an inheritance. How much you'll be assessed depends on the state you live in, the size of your inheritance, the types of assets included, and your relationship with the deceased.
There are four ways you can avoid capital gains tax on an inherited property. You can sell it right away, live there and make it your primary residence, rent it out to tenants, or disclaim the inherited property.
You'll have to file a gift tax return if the vehicle's fair market value brings the total value of gifts you've given the recipient in 2024 above $18,000. That said, even if the gifted car is worth more than $18,000, you likely won't have to pay taxes on the gift.
Each state has different estate tax laws, but the federal government limits how much estate tax is collected. Any estate worth more than $11.8 million is subject to estate tax, and the amount taken out goes on a sliding scale depending on how much more than $11.8 million the estate is worth.
The primary way the IRS becomes aware of gifts is when you report them on form 709. You are required to report gifts to an individual over $17,000 on this form. This is how the IRS will generally become aware of a gift. However, form 709 is not the only way the IRS will know about a gift.
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.
Therefore, inheritances do not impact eligibility, and no reporting requirements exist for inheritances or assets received. Before assuming an inheritance will forfeit your benefits, check which program you receive—SSI or SSDI.
When a house is transferred via inheritance, the value of the house is stepped up to its fair market value at the time it was transferred, according to the IRS. This means that a home purchased many years ago is valued at current market value for capital gains.
Inheritance checks are generally not reported to the IRS unless they involve cash or cash equivalents exceeding $10,000. Banks and financial institutions are required to report such transactions using Form 8300. Most inheritances are paid by regular check, wire transfer, or other means that don't qualify for reporting.
Medium inheritance ($100,000)
If you receive a larger inheritance, first consider the recommendations above—fund an emergency savings account or pay off credit cards and loans. You can also use a portion of the money to pay off all or part of your mortgage or pay down student loan debt.
You don't need to report a cash inheritance on your federal return. The IRS doesn't impose an inheritance tax. Only a handful of states (Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) have some kind of inheritance tax.