Inheritances are not considered income for federal tax purposes, whether you inherit cash, investments or property. However, any subsequent earnings on the inherited assets are taxable, unless it comes from a tax-free source.
Large inheritances vary considerably, but it's safe to say that anything over $100,000 falls into this category. Whether you inherit a hundred thousand dollars or upwards of a million, a large inheritance can feel intimidating, especially if you don't already have substantial wealth built up.
If you inherit a significant amount, such as $50,000, a strategy for wisely handling a windfall is likely to include making a long-term plan that considers your age and goals, starts with a well-stocked emergency fund and employs tax-advantaged investments if available.
For the inheritance process to begin, a will must be submitted to probate. The probate court reviews the will, authorizes an executor and legally transfers assets to beneficiaries as outlined. Before the transfer, the executor will settle any of the deceased's remaining debts.
The majority of people who inherit aren't getting millions, either; less than one-fifth of inheritances are more than $500,000. The most common inheritance is between $10,000 and $50,000.
When someone dies, tax will normally be paid from their estate before any money is distributed to their heirs. Usually when you inherit something, there's no tax to pay immediately but you might have to pay tax later.
Expectations for an inheritance's size have to be realistic. The Federal Reserve's 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) found that the average inheritance in the U.S. is $110,050.
There is no federal inheritance tax—that is, a tax on the sum of assets an individual receives from a deceased person. However, a federal estate tax applies to estates larger than $11.7 million for 2021 and $12.06 million for 2022. The tax is assessed only on the portion of an estate that exceeds those amounts.
For example, if you only inherited $10,000, you may be exempt and not have to pay a tax. Additionally, if you are married to the person who passed away, you will not have to pay an inheritance tax. However, if these exceptions do not apply, you will have to pay an inheritance tax.
Similarly, if you inherit a bank account, you don't pay income tax on the funds in the account, but if they start earning interest, the interest payments are your taxable income.
In 2022, an individual can leave $12.06 million to heirs and pay no federal estate or gift tax, while a married couple can shield $24.12 million. For a couple who already maxed out lifetime gifts, the new higher exemption means that there's room for them to give away another $720,000 in 2022.
Inheritance Tax rates
The standard Inheritance Tax rate is 40%.
If your inheritance is in the form of an annuity (an annual fixed sum payment) then this is treated as income and can affect the amount of your main benefit payment or your eligibility for the benefit. If you have inherited property, or money which is paid to you as a one-off payment, then these are regarded as assets.
Cash legacies can only be distributed once the Executor has collected in sufficient funds from the assets of the Estate to make the payment. If there is very little cash available in the Estate, then assets will need to be sold before it can be paid.
It's generally better to receive real estate as an inheritance rather than as an outright gift because of capital gains implications. The deceased probably paid much less for the property than its fair market value in the year of death if they owned the real estate for any length of time.
A common source of sudden wealth from a windfall inheritance is life insurance proceeds. Death benefits from life insurance are normally sheltered from any taxes. So, if your father has a $500,000 term life insurance policy with you as the primary beneficiary, you should receive $500,000 tax-free if he passes.
Can I retire at 60 with $200k? At 60, you can more easily retire on $200,000, especially if you plan to start taking Social Security at 62. But keep in mind that when you take the earliest Social Security option, you dramatically reduce your monthly payout for the remainder of your life.
This means that when the beneficiary withdraws those monies from the accounts, the beneficiary will receive a 1099 from the company administering the plan and must report that income on their income tax return (and must pay income taxes on the sum).
Social Security is not a means-tested program, which means that your eligibility for Social Security is not affected by any receipt of assets or income that you receive from an inheritance. Therefore, if you are receiving Social Security, receipt of inheritance will not have an effect on your Social Security payments.