how much was the estate tax exemption changed
Before discussing the future of estate taxes, it is important to understand what the current federal estate tax rules provide and if these rules are likely to be changed in the near future. Under previous law, the federal estate tax exemption was supposed to drop significantly from $5,120,000 in 2012 to $1,000,000 in 2013, and the estate tax rate was scheduled to jump from 35% to 55%.