Federal estate taxes (aka “death taxes” or “inheritance taxes”) are taxes imposed by the federal government on the right to transfer property from a deceased person’s estate to his or her beneficiaries. In 2020, a person can pass up to $11.58 million free from federal estate taxes. The amount that can pass free from federal estate tax is called the “federal exemption” amount, and it typically goes up every year to account for inflation. The State of California imposes no additional tax burden.