Exemption & rate verified against primary sources · Updated October 1, 2026
Minnesota Estate Tax in 2026: Exemption, Rates & Calculator
Minnesota exempts the first $3,000,000 of a taxable estate, then applies a graduated schedule from 13% up to 16% on the remainder — genuinely graduated, not a flat top rate on everything above the exclusion.
Calculate Minnesota estate tax for your situationHow Minnesota taxes an estate
Minnesota's own statute defines "Minnesota taxable estate" as already net of the $3,000,000 exclusion, so the bracket table below is applied to the amount left AFTER subtracting the exclusion — the first dollar of that remainder is taxed at 13%, not 16%.
Applied to the amount ABOVE Minnesota's $3,000,000 exclusion — subtract the exclusion first, then look up the remainder here.
| Range | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $7,100,000 over exclusion | 13.0% |
| $7,100,000 – $8,100,000 over exclusion | 13.6% |
| $8,100,000 – $9,100,000 over exclusion | 14.4% |
| $9,100,000 – $10,100,000 over exclusion | 15.2% |
| Over $10,100,000 over exclusion | 16.0% |
Worked example
A $10,000,000 Minnesota taxable estate has $7,000,000 above the $3,000,000 exclusion, which stays entirely within the first (13%) bracket. Tax is 13% of $7,000,000, or $910,000.
Rules worth knowing
- The 16% top rate only applies to the portion of the excess above $10,100,000 — a $10,000,000 taxable estate, as in the example above, never reaches it.
- The $3,000,000 exclusion has held steady since 2020 and is not indexed for inflation.
Filing deadline
The federal Form 706 return, when required, is due 9 months after the date of death (IRC §6075(a)). Minnesota's own Form M706 has its own deadline — confirm the exact requirement with the Minnesota Department of Revenue rather than relying on the federal date.
How Minnesota compares to the other states with an estate tax
13 states plus D.C. levy their own estate tax on top of the federal one, each with a different exemption, top rate, and calculation method — here's every one of them side by side.
| State | Exemption | Top rate | How it's calculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $1,000,000 | 16.0% | Graduated 10%–16% |
| Rhode Island | $1,838,056 | 16.0% | Federal credit table |
| Massachusetts | $2,000,000 | 16.0% | Federal credit table |
| Minnesota (this page) | $3,000,000 | 16.0% | Graduated 13%–16% |
| Washington | $3,000,000 | 20.0% | Flat 20% (date-sensitive) |
| Illinois | $4,000,000 | 16.0% | Lesser-of two formulas |
| the District of Columbia | $4,988,400 | 16.0% | Graduated 11.2%–16% |
| Maryland | $5,000,000 | 16.0% | Flat 16% (credit-table equiv.) |
| Vermont | $5,000,000 | 16.0% | Flat 16% |
| Hawaii | $5,490,000 | 20.0% | Graduated 10%–20% |
| Maine | $7,160,000 | 12.0% | Graduated 8%–12% |
| New York | $7,350,000 | 16.0% | Graduated + 105% cliff |
| Connecticut | $15,000,000 | 12.0% | Flat 12% |
Frequently asked questions
Does Minnesota have an inheritance tax?
No. Minnesota has an estate tax but no inheritance tax. The estate tax on this page is owed by the estate itself and paid before anything is distributed; beneficiaries do not owe a separate Minnesota tax on what they receive. (Only Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania still charge an inheritance tax.)
What is the Minnesota estate tax exemption in 2026?
$3,000,000 per person for deaths in 2026. Estates at or below that amount owe no Minnesota estate tax. The federal exemption is separate and much higher ($15,000,000 for 2026), so many estates owe Minnesota estate tax and no federal estate tax.
What is the top Minnesota estate tax rate?
16%. Minnesota's rates are graduated from 13% to 16% on the amount above the exemption. See "How Minnesota taxes an estate" above for how the rate is actually applied, and use the calculator for the exact figure on a given estate.
More on estate tax
For how federal estate tax interacts with Minnesota's own rules, the 2026 federal exemption, and spousal portability, see the full estate tax guide.
How Minnesota compares: for a single decedent dying in 2026, a $5,000,000 estate owes $260,000 in state estate tax in Minnesota — 6th highest of the 7 jurisdictions that collect anything at that size, and a $10,000,000 estate owes $910,000. Federal estate tax is $0 in both cases. The full comparison across all 12 estate-tax states and DC, with a downloadable CSV, is in Inheritance and estate tax by state, 2026.