estate tax

American  

noun

1. a tax imposed on a decedent's property, assessed on the gross estate prior to distribution to the heirs.

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Etymology

Origin of estate tax

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

estate tax

If they don’t touch the money until they die, they can leave it to their heirs without paying any estate tax, either.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

And, as I said, most estates at this level pay no estate tax at all.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

Swapping assets is often part of estate planning for wealthy taxpayers aiming to minimize exposure to the 50% estate tax rate.

From Barron's ● May 16, 2026

He wants to increase the estate tax to 50% from 16% and impose a two percentage-point city tax surcharge on incomes over $1 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026

She does not know how or where to join in when her children are talking about Woody Allen movies or real estate tax laws or somebody’s yoga class.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Related Words

• death tax
• inheritance tax