Updated October 29, 2026. Quick answer: The generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption for 2026 is $15,000,000, equal to the estate and gift tax basic exclusion amount, per Rev. Proc. 2025-32. By statute the GST exemption each year equals the basic exclusion amount, so the two move together. The 2027 version has its own page, the GST tax exemption for 2027.
The 2026 amount
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 GST exemption amount | $15,000,000 | Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 2, item .14 |
| 2026 basic exclusion amount (estate and gift tax) | $15,000,000 | Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 2, item .14 |
| Amount set by Public Law 119-21 section 70106 for 2026 | $15,000,000 | Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 2, item .14 |
The IRS tied the two numbers together in the Revenue Procedure: “Section 70106 of the OBBBA amends § 2010(c)(3) by increasing the basic exclusion amount to $15,000,000 for calendar year 2026.” “For calendar year 2026, the generation-skipping transfer exemption amount under § 2631(c) is equal to $15,000,000.”
What the statute says
Section 2631(c) of the Internal Revenue Code makes the GST exemption follow the estate tax figure: “the GST exemption amount for any calendar year shall be equal to the basic exclusion amount under section 2010(c) for such calendar year.” Section 2631(a) is what lets a person use the exemption: “every individual shall be allowed a GST exemption amount which may be allocated by such individual (or his executor) to any property with respect to which such individual is the transferor.”
What changes after 2026
The IRS stated when the first inflation adjustment arrives: “These numbers are adjusted for inflation for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.” “The basic exclusion amount will be adjusted for inflation for calendar year 2027 and future years.” The GST exemption then moves with it. The GST forms are walked through on Form 709 Schedule D and Form 706 Schedule R.
Common mistakes
- Treating the GST exemption as a separate number from the estate tax exclusion. By statute it equals the basic exclusion amount.
- Using an earlier year’s exemption for 2026. Public Law 119-21 raised the basic exclusion amount to $15,000,000 for 2026.
- Assuming the GST exemption is automatic on every gift. It is an amount a person allocates to property, as section 2631(a) says.
Related: the estate tax exemption, the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption, the gift tax annual exclusion, and the GST tax exemption for 2027.
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Answer againSources
- Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32, tax year 2026 inflation-adjusted amounts, as modified by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act: www.irs.gov
- 26 U.S.C. 2631, GST exemption (U.S. Code, 2024 edition, U.S. Government Publishing Office): www.govinfo.gov
Read from the primary documents linked above on October 29, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the IRS itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.