Washington Estate Tax: the key point is that the old $2.193 million figure should not be reused for 2026 deaths. Upload notices, contracts, reports or court papers to Caira and turn them into a document checklist.
Open Caira
Current-law note: reviewed against current official-source posture for the 2026 refresh.
Current Thresholds
Washington DOR estate-tax tables show a $3.076 million exclusion amount for deaths from January 1 through June 30, 2026, and a $3 million exclusion amount for deaths from July 1 through December 31, 2026. The correct table depends on the date of death, so a saved 2025 article can produce the wrong planning answer.
What To Check
date of death
gross estate value
Washington taxable-estate computation
deductions and debts
marital planning documents
real estate, business interests and retirement accounts
Planning Notes
Washington does not automatically double the state exclusion for married couples just because a couple is married. Planning often turns on trust design, asset titling, liquidity and whether the estate has property that is hard to sell. A family with a house, business or farm can have a tax issue even if cash is limited.
Questions To Ask Caira
Which assets belong in the Washington estate-tax file?
What date-of-death table applies?
What documents support deductions or valuation discounts?
Which assets may create liquidity pressure?
What follow-up questions should go to a tax adviser?
Practical Output
Build an estate-tax file with the death certificate, asset inventory, appraisals, debt records, trust documents, prior gift information, real property records and a current Washington DOR table note.
This guide is general information, not legal, financial, medical or tax advice.
