Under current law the federal estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions have become unified and are indexed for inflation on an annual basis. Since 2011, the exemption and tax rate have changed as follows:
Year Exemption                 Tax Rate
2011         $5,000,000         35%
2012         $5,120,000         35%
2013         $5,250,000         40%
2014         $5,340,000         40%
2015         $5,430,000         40%

The annual exclusion from gift taxes is also indexed for inflation on an annual basis but only in $1,000 increments. Since 2011, the annual gift tax exclusion has changed as follows:

Year Exclusion
2011        $13,000
2012        $13,000
2013        $14,000
2014        $14,000
2015        $14,000

While the IRS will not officially release the 2016 inflation-indexed exemption and exclusion until later in October, Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting has released its 2016 predictions based on historical inflationary trends. According to Wolters, the exemption should end up at $5,450,000 in 2016, or $10,900,000 for married couples. While this is a mere $20,000 per individual / $40,000 per married couple increase over the 2015 exemption, it is a whopping $450,000 per individual / $900,000 per married couple increase since 2011. Unfortunately, Wolters anticipates that the annual gift exclusion will remain at $14,000 for 2016.

Wealthy individuals and couples should continue to monitor these inflation-indexed numbers and plan accordingly. We will update you on the official 2016 numbers once they are released by the IRS.