Estate taxes across New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Florida

$7.35 million in New York and $15 million in Connecticut: the published 2026 state thresholds start the comparison, but they do not finish an estate plan. New Jersey and Florida have different systems, and owning property across state lines can preserve a tax connection after a move.

The house search should establish where the property sits, how it will be titled and how it fits into the owner’s wider estate. The relevant value is not simply the purchase price of one residence.

New York: the exclusion can disappear

New York’s basic exclusion amount for deaths in 2026 is $7,350,000. The estate-tax credit phases out as the taxable estate rises above that amount and is lost above 105% of the exclusion. This is the source of the “cliff”: tax is not necessarily confined to dollars above an ordinary exemption. 2026 estate-tax guidance and credit calculation.

A nonresident estate can still have a New York filing obligation when it includes New York real or tangible property and meets the applicable filing test. Moving away does not automatically remove a retained New York house from the analysis.

Connecticut: estate and gift taxes belong together

Connecticut publishes a $15 million estate-and-gift threshold for 2026. Its treatment includes relevant Connecticut taxable gifts, so a comparison confined to the assets held on the date of death can miss part of the calculation. Connecticut follows the law of the jurisdiction where a cooperative is located: New York co-op shares treated as intangible property under New York law receive that treatment for Connecticut estate and gift tax. That distinction matters when a Connecticut resident retains a Manhattan co-op. Connecticut DRS cooperative-unit policy. Connecticut DRS estate and gift guidance.

New Jersey: inheritance tax still matters

New Jersey eliminated its estate tax for deaths on or after January 1, 2018. It continues to impose an inheritance tax in applicable cases, with the beneficiary’s relationship to the person who died central to the classification. “No estate tax” should not become “no death-related state tax.” New Jersey inheritance and estate guidance.

Florida: a different state rule, with other obligations remaining

Florida does not impose an estate tax for deaths on or after January 1, 2005 under its current system. That does not settle federal estate tax or the treatment of property retained elsewhere. Florida Department of Revenue estate-tax guidance.

Before selecting ownership through an individual, trust or entity, have estate counsel evaluate the complete property and asset picture. A title structure chosen for convenience can affect lending, insurance, transfer costs and administration as well as taxes.

These rules were checked October 12, 2026. Use the threshold for the relevant year and obtain a coordinated state and federal calculation. A change of mailing address or a new home purchase alone is not a complete estate-tax strategy.