The estate tax is a tax on the right to transfer property at the time of death. A Washington decedent or a non-resident decedent who owns property in Washington state may owe estate tax depending on the value of their estate.
An estate tax return (Form 706) must be filed if the gross estate of the decedent (who is a U.S. citizen or resident), increased by the decedent's adjusted taxable gifts and specific gift tax exemption, is valued at more than the filing threshold for the year of the decedent's death, as shown in the table below.
With savvy planning, it is possible for a couple to reduce the amount of Washington estate tax owed by the surviving spouse's estate. Three effective strategies are using a disclaimer trust, making gifts after the first spouse passes away, and making charitable gifts on the death of the second spouse.
The small estate affidavit in Washington State serves as a simplified legal process for transferring assets of a deceased person. This procedure applies to estates valued at $100,000 or less, excluding real estate. Heirs may utilize this affidavit to claim the deceased's assets without going through formal probate.
If you're a resident of Washington state when you die, the personal representative or executor of your estate must file the Washington estate tax return if your "gross estate" adds up to more than $2,193,000 (this is the exemption amount for deaths occurring in 2018-2025). Smaller estates won't have to file a return.
Washington Estate Tax Exemption The 2025 threshold for the estate tax in Washington is $2.193 million. So if a person's estate is equal to less than $2.193 million, then it won't be taxed by Washington state upon the person's death.
RCW 11.40. 140 provides for strict provisions if you are a creditor of Decedent and wish to present a Creditor's Claim against the estate yourself: You must prepare, file, and serve a written Creditor's Claim, and. You must set a noticed hearing and have the Court determine whether your claim should be allowed.
Here are six common estate planning techniques that could allow you to sidestep probate in Washington: Revocable living trusts. Lower estate value. Joint ownership. Community property agreements. Transfer-on-death (TOD) deeds. Accounts with beneficiaries.
While Washington State does not require a probate to be filed, it does require that any Will be filed within 40 days of death. Not filing for probate can make it difficult or impossible to validate a will, meaning the estate could be treated as if the person died intestate.