estate tax

noun

: a tax in the form of a percentage of the taxable estate that is imposed on a property owner's right to transfer the property to others after their death compare inheritance tax sense 1

Examples of estate tax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition to creating a funding plan for estate tax, the liquidity created through life insurance can enable important family assets to remain with the family instead of being sold to pay the tax bill. — Dan Avery, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026

How estate tax and life insurance work Sometimes, life insurance proceeds will be paid to a policyholder's estate instead of a specific person. — Aly J Yale, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

The One Big Beautiful Bill eliminated the estate tax, which applies to the wealth of large estates. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

The federal estate tax, which is paid by the estate rather than heirs, carries a top marginal rate of 40%, with a $15 million basic exclusion amount for people who die in 2026, according to the IRS. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for estate tax

• anticlimax
• counterattacks
• hemothorax
• mesothorax
• metathorax
• almanacs
• carrybacks
• haversacks
• lumberjacks
• maniacs
• microcracks
• minimax

Legal Definition

estate tax

noun

: an excise in the form of a percentage of the taxable estate that is imposed on a property owner's right to transfer the property to others after his or her death

called also succession tax

see also unified transfer tax compare gift tax, inheritance tax