There is no federal inheritance tax. Inherited assets may be taxed for residents of Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Whether you may pay inheritance tax depends on the amount of the inheritance, your relationship to the decedent, and the state in which the decedent lived.
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%.
And while inheriting $1 million—or any significant sum—is far from the worst problem to have, surveys find younger generations aren't ready to manage it. For most people, a sizable lump sum inheritance is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and they will have plenty of questions about what to do with the money.
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. Example: You inherit and deposit cash that earns interest income. Include only the interest earned in your gross income, not the inherited cash.
Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million. Therefore, about 2% of the population possesses enough wealth to meet the current definition of being rich.
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.
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.
Deposit the money into a safe account
Your first action to take when receiving a lump sum is to deposit the money into an FDIC-insured bank account. This will allow for safekeeping while you consider how to make the best use of your inheritance. The maximum coverage for each FDIC-insured account is $250,000.
At a glance:
Any gifts exceeding $18,000 in a year must be reported and contribute to your lifetime exclusion amount. You can gift up to $13.61 million over your lifetime without paying a gift tax on it (as of 2024).
It generally takes about two business days for a check to clear, but this may vary depending on the check amount and the specific bank or credit union's policies.
$1 Million In Ordinary Income
For example, if you're single and earn $1 million in taxable income, you'll fall into the highest tax bracket, which is currently 37%. This means that you'll pay 37% in federal income taxes on the portion of your income that exceeds the threshold for the highest tax bracket.
This means an individual can leave or gift to non-spouse beneficiaries $13,610,000 without having to pay federal transfer taxes. A married couple will be able to shield $27,220,000. 1 The maximum federal estate and gift tax rate remains at 40% for 2024.
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.
Immediately after receiving an inheritance, you should notify your local Social Security office.
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.
The federal government doesn't have an inheritance tax. As of 2024, six states impose an inheritance tax: Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Generally, the value of the inherited assets has to exceed minimum amount before an inheritance tax is due.
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.
Strategies to transfer wealth without a heavy tax burden include creating an irrevocable trust, engaging in annual gifting, forming a family limited partnership, or forming a generation-skipping transfer trust.
Probably 1 in every 20 families have a net worth exceeding $3 Million, but most people's net worth is their homes, cars, boats, and only 10% is in savings, so you would typically have to have a net worth of $30 million, which is 1 in every 1000 families.
The top 10% of earners have an average net worth of $2.65 million. Even if you're squeaking into the upper class (the 80-90% range), you're looking at about $793,000. Moving down to the middle class, things get a bit more varied. The upper-middle class folks have an average net worth of around $300,800.
Yes, $500k Might Be Enough
With an income source like Social Security, modes spending, and a bit of good luck, this is feasible. And when two people in your household get Social Security or pension income, it's even easier. Clearly, more money provides more security and more options.