A tax that can apply to what gets transferred when somebody dies, above thresholds set by law. Most estates fall under the federal threshold, so for many families this isn't the live issue — but some states have their own rules, and land-rich families can cross lines they never thought applied to them.
Why Most People Can Relax a Little
The federal threshold has generally been high enough that the majority of estates aren't subject to it. A lot of worry about this is misplaced, and it distracts from planning problems that are much more likely to actually bite.
We're not printing the threshold. It changes, it's scheduled to change again, and a stale number here would be worse than none.
Why Land-Rich Families Should Still Look
Ground that's been in a family for generations can be worth far more than anybody planned around, while producing modest income. That's the combination that creates trouble: a significant valuation and no cash to settle anything with.
That's how families end up selling ground to pay a bill — not because they were wealthy in any way they'd recognise, but because the land was valued and the cash wasn't there.
Liquidity Is Usually the Real Problem
For most families the pressing question isn't the tax rate; it's whether there's anything to pay obligations with that isn't the land itself.
That's a planning conversation and it needs your attorney and your CPA in it. It's also one of the few where starting a decade early changes the options available.
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