The personal representative or executor of a Kentucky estate has many responsibilities to fulfill. They must secure and properly manage estate resources until they liquidate or distribute them. They need to communicate with those who have an interest in the estate, including heirs, beneficiaries and creditors. They also need to use estate resources to fulfill the financial obligations of both the decedent and the estate itself.
Debts, including probate costs, require payment with estate resources. Personal representatives have to ensure they retain resources to pay for all of the valid debts owed by the decedent. They may have to pay income taxes on behalf of the decedent and the estate itself. Occasionally, there may also be estate taxes that apply.
When does a personal representative in Kentucky need to set aside resources for estate taxes?
Multimillion-dollar estates are subject to federal taxes
Kentucky, like most other states, does not collect a state-level estate tax. Of course, federal taxes can still apply in scenarios involving highly-valuable estates. When the individual who passed had millions of dollars in personal property, their estate may be subject to federal estate taxes.
The exemption threshold changes every year. The 2024 exemption threshold is $13.61 million. That increases to $13.99 million for those who die in 2025. Estates worth less than that are not subject to estate taxes.
The more the estate is worth, the more taxes the personal representative may have to pay. The federal estate tax rate is progressive. The more the estate’s value exceeds the threshold, the higher the final tax rate. Personal Representatives may need to set aside between 18 and 40% of the total value of the estate to cover federal estate taxes.
They may also need to communicate with certain beneficiaries about the Kentucky inheritance tax. Technically, the estate does not cover that tax. Instead, beneficiaries do. Beneficiaries may have to set aside funds to cover state taxes based on the value of what they inherit. The failure to retain estate resources to cover estate taxes might lead to financial liability for the personal representative of the estate.
Having support throughout the estate administration process can reduce the likelihood of a representative making mistakes that could lead to financial consequences. Estate taxes are one potential source of liability that people need to prepare for during estate administration.