Estate Planning Win: OBBBA Permanently Raises Gift and Estate Tax Exemption to $15 Million!

Normally, certain inflation-adjusted numbers affect taxpayers’ estate plans every year. One is the federal gift and estate tax exemption. But for 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) permanently increases the exemption amount to $15 million (up from $13.99 million for 2025). That amount will be adjusted annually for inflation for 2027 and beyond. Without the OBBBA, the exemption would have returned to an inflation-adjusted $5 million for 2026. The generation-skipping transfer tax exemption amount also increases to $15 million for 2026 and will be annually adjusted for inflation after that.