Masters in Business · Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Only 0.1% of all U.S. estates pay any estate tax, with approximately $200 billion transferring tax-free each year. This low figure is attributed to a significant increase in the tax threshold, which rose from $1.2 million in the early 2000s to $30 million for married couples, and various avoidance strategies.
“$ 200 billion transfers tax-free every year Only 0.1% of all US estates pay any estate tax.”
“That's down. I did an analysis on that 15 years ago, and I want to say it was 0.4%. So it's even less today.”
“And it's quite striking. I mean, one of the reasons why I think it's fallen is that the threshold has moved from in early 2000s, 1.2 million up to 30 million for married couples.”