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ARTICLE · 01 JULY 2026

Washington Estate Tax Changes

Beresford Booth
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Washington State's estate tax rates are set to change again on July 1, 2026, bringing significant relief to estates of all sizes. The top rate will drop from 35% back to 20%, potentially saving estates hundreds of thousands of dollars compared to the current rate structure that has been in effect since July 2025.

United StatesTax
Sherry Bosse Lueders
Sherry Bosse Lueders
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July 1 falls on a Wednesday this year, but it is anything but an ordinary Wednesday for Washington estate tax. July 1, 2026, is the date Washington’s estate tax rates are scheduled to change once again—and this time, the news is mostly good for estates of all sizes.

Washington’s estate tax has been in flux since July 2025. Here’s how the rates have evolved:

Before July 1, 2025: The estate tax exclusion amount was frozen at $2.193 million since 2018, and estate tax rates ranged from 10% on the first million dollars of taxable estate value to 20% on the portion of a taxable estate greater than $9 million.

July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026: The estate tax exclusion amount increased to $3 million July 1, 2025, increased again to $3.076 million on January 1, 2026, and was set to continue to increase annually in line with inflation. Rates increased significantly, ranging from 10% on the first million to a top rate of 35% on estates with a taxable value greater than $9 million.

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