Washington Legacy & Estate Planning
Have questions about your will, trust, or overall legacy plan?
Is Your Estate Large Enough to Trigger Washington Estate Tax?
Washington State has one of the more aggressive state-level estate tax systems in the country, which makes proactive planning especially important for families who have accumulated significant assets, real estate, retirement accounts, or business interests.
As of July 1, 2025, Washington increased its estate tax exemption threshold to $3 million per person.
Unlike the federal estate tax system, Washington’s estate tax is not portable between spouses in the same way federal exemptions may be. That means careful planning may be necessary to fully utilize exemptions and mitigate unnecessary taxation.
You can review Washington estate tax information directly through the:
Assets That May Be Subject to Estate Tax
Washington estate tax applies at the second death for married couples and can affect:
- Investment accounts
- Retirement accounts
- Real estate
- Closely held businesses
- Life insurance
- Vacation properties
- Appreciated assets
Many families are surprised to discover that a combination of a primary residence, retirement savings, brokerage accounts, and life insurance can push them above Washington’s threshold far sooner than expected.
Coordinated Estate Planning Strategies
At Wealthmark Advisors, we help clients proactively evaluate potential estate tax exposure and coordinate with qualified estate planning attorneys and tax professionals to implement appropriate strategies.
These strategies may include:
- Revocable living trusts
- Credit shelter or bypass trusts
- Irrevocable trusts
- Lifetime gifting strategies
- Charitable giving
- Family limited partnerships
- Titling and beneficiary coordination
- Advanced multigenerational planning
Implementation matters just as much as drafting the documents themselves. We frequently help clients coordinate beneficiary updates, account titling, trust funding, and communication between advisors, attorneys, CPAs, and family members.
Preserving More Than Wealth
We also focus heavily on family legacy planning. In many cases, the greatest challenge is not simply mitigating taxes, but preparing future generations to responsibly manage and steward inherited wealth.
Federal Estate Tax Considerations
On the federal side, the current federal estate and gift tax exemption for 2026 is $15 million per individual, or $30 million for married couples with proper planning.
Additional federal estate tax resources:
Estate and tax laws continue to evolve, which is why ongoing review and proactive planning are so important.
Our Goal
Our role is to help clients move from uncertainty and procrastination to clarity, coordination, and confidence — so the wealth they’ve built supports the people and causes they care about most.