Vermont Estate Tax: Exemption and Rate Guide

Vermont keeps it simple: one flat $5 million exemption, then a flat 16 percent on everything above it.1

No tiers, no ladder, no inflation indexing to track. This guide covers who pays, how the flat structure works, what a surviving spouse inherits tax free, and how Vermont's tax differs from the federal estate tax and from Medicaid estate recovery.

In This Guide

• Vermont Estate Tax at a Glance
• How the Vermont Estate Tax Works
• Estate Tax vs. Inheritance Tax
• The Federal Estate Tax Is Separate
• This Is Not Medicaid Estate Recovery
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Next Steps

Vermont Estate Tax at a Glance

Here is the whole picture in one place.

The structure is unusually clean. A flat $5 million exemption, and a single flat rate above it.1 Vermont has no separate inheritance tax, so heirs are not taxed on what they personally receive.

How the Vermont Estate Tax Works

The estate tax is paid by the estate, out of the deceased person's assets, before heirs are paid. Vermont's version is about as simple as a state estate tax gets.

The exemption. The first $5 million of a Vermont estate passes tax free.1 Unlike many states, Vermont's exemption is a fixed flat figure, not an inflation-indexed number that changes every year.

The flat rate. Everything above the $5 million exemption is taxed at a flat 16 percent.1 There are no graduated brackets. Only the value above the exemption is taxed: the first $5 million always passes tax free, and the flat 16 percent applies solely to the excess over that line.

Transfers to a surviving spouse. Vermont figures its tax from the federal taxable estate, which allows an unlimited marital deduction, so property left outright to a surviving spouse passes free of Vermont estate tax no matter how large the estate.1 That can defer or eliminate tax when the first spouse dies. But Vermont offers no portability, so the survivor cannot inherit the deceased spouse's unused $5 million exemption. When the second spouse dies, the full estate is measured against a single $5 million line, which is exactly the gap trust planning is built to close for couples whose combined assets are over the exemption.

Filing. Vermont estate tax returns are administered by the Vermont Department of Taxes. The Department of Taxes estate tax page carries the current forms, the exemption, and the filing instructions.

Because the rate jumps straight to 16 percent with no lower brackets to ease into, an estate just over the $5 million line can owe a meaningful bill on the first dollar above it.1 If your estate is near or over $5 million, talk to an estate attorney. Trusts and lifetime gifting can keep an estate under the line or shrink the slice exposed to that flat 16 percent.

Estate Tax vs. Inheritance Tax

These two terms get used interchangeably, but they are different taxes paid by different people.

• An estate tax is paid by the estate. It comes off the top before heirs receive anything. Vermont has this one.
• An inheritance tax is paid by each heir on what they personally receive, often at a rate set by the relationship. Vermont does not have this one.1

So Vermont has exactly one state death tax, the estate tax, and the estate settles it. If you inherit from a Vermont estate, you do not owe Vermont a separate inheritance tax on your share.

The Federal Estate Tax Is Separate

Vermont's estate tax sits alongside a completely separate federal estate tax. The two are filed and calculated independently.

For 2026, the federal basic exclusion is $15,000,000 per person and the top federal rate is 40 percent, filed on IRS Form 706.2 Because that federal exemption is so high, the large majority of estates owe no federal estate tax even when they owe a state estate tax in a state with a much lower exemption.2

Vermont's $5 million exemption is well below the federal figure, so an estate between $5 million and $15,000,000 can owe Vermont estate tax while owing the IRS nothing.1,2 The lower state line is the one most Vermont families need to plan around.

This Is Not Medicaid Estate Recovery

Families often confuse the estate tax with Medicaid estate recovery. They are separate processes.

Estate recovery is how a state seeks repayment from the estate of someone who received long-term-care Medicaid, usually by claiming against the home after death. It has nothing to do with the estate's size or the estate tax exemption. A modest estate that owes zero Vermont estate tax can still face a recovery claim, and a large taxable estate that never used Medicaid faces none. Our explainer on Medicaid estate recovery covers how that works.

Next Steps

If your estate is comfortably under $5 million, Vermont's estate tax is not your concern. If you are near or over it, plan early, because the flat 16 percent starts on the first dollar over the line.1

• Add up the whole estate, including life insurance, retirement accounts, and real estate, and compare it to the $5 million exemption.1
• Remember the rate is flat, so there is no gentle lower bracket: value over the line is taxed at 16 percent immediately.
• Weigh the spousal picture, since transfers to a surviving spouse pass tax free but Vermont offers no portability, so a couple over the exemption should plan before the first death.
• See an estate attorney if you are near or over $5 million. Trusts and gifting can shrink the taxable slice.

For the bigger financial picture, our guide to building a senior care funding plan ties taxes, benefits, and care costs together, and if a home is part of the estate, selling or renting a home for care covers that trade-off.

Learn More

Find personalized help understanding the Vermont estate tax and your family's plan at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.