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As of 2013, residents of Indiana must only contend with the Federal Estate and Gift Tax and do not have to pay state taxes on anything they inherit. As of 2025, only estates worth $13.99 million or more are subject to this Federal Estate Tax, with estates valued under this amount exempt.
Additionally, if the lifetime gifts of an estate exceed the annual exclusion amount for that year, the estate will have to pay federal taxes on the difference; in 2025, the gift tax exclusion amount is $19,000.
The combined lifetime exemption for federal estate and gift taxes is $13.99 million. Thus, to the extent that lifetime gifts eve exceeded the annual exemption amount in any given year, that excess amount must be totaled and subtracted from the $13.99 million combined exemption amount to arrive at the amount that will be taxed.
If my law firm is hired to help you handle a loved one’s estate, we will explore this possibility at the outset of the estate and make contact with the decedent’s tax professional to work through the process.
The Federal Estate Tax is due nine months after the decedent’s date of death, but this can be extended. The process of paying those taxes could cause delays in your loved one’s estate, depending on the required timing of the filings.
Attorney Thomas Scifres is an experienced, respected estate planning attorney serving Indiana. For over 30 years, he’s helped clients just like you understand Indiana tax law and navigate the probate process with exceptional care and diligence.
Have questions, or in need of legal help? Reach out to Thomas E. Scifres, PC, for a free initial consultation today.
If real estate taxes are owed by the decedent at the time of death, the personal representative of their estate could pay those taxes. If this does not happen, the beneficiary who receives the property and its title will be responsible for making sure those outstanding property taxes are paid.
If a will specifies that any unpaid property taxes should be paid by the executor, the beneficiary could obtain an order that those taxes be paid out of other estate assets before the property’s title is transferred to them.
Life insurance proceeds do not have to go through the probate process so long as there are designated beneficiaries on the policy. These are considered “non-probate transfers” as they do not pass through the probate estate. Life insurance proceeds are also generally not taxable under Indiana tax codes, though interest earned on the proceeds may be taxable as income.
Still Have Questions? Ready To Get Started?
For more information on Probate tax laws in Indiana, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (812) 359-8007 today.
Attorney Thomas Scifres is an experienced, respected estate planning attorney serving Indiana. For over 30 years, he’s helped clients just like you understand Indiana tax law and navigate the probate process with exceptional care and diligence.
Have questions, or in need of legal help? Reach out to Thomas E. Scifres, PC, for a free initial consultation today.
