Estate Tax Connecticut 2026: Exemption, Rates & Strategies

Connecticut estate tax planning is the highest-stakes form of estate planning, with millions of dollars of family wealth turning on the precise structure of trusts, gifts, and beneficiary designations. For Connecticut residents in Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport, Darien, Westport, West Hartford, Avon, Farmington, and the affluent towns of Fairfield County and the Farmington Valley, the questions are concrete: at what estate size do federal and Connecticut estate tax kick in, what is the rate, how do married couples use portability, when should an irrevocable life insurance trust be created, when does a GRAT make sense, what happens if the 2017 federal exemption sunsets to ~$7M in 2026 or 2027, and what is the deadline for taking advantage of the current $13.99M exemption before it potentially drops? This 6,400-word guide answers every one of those questions with 2026-current numbers, statutory citations, and worked examples for real Connecticut estate sizes. Written for Connecticut residents with $5 million to $75 million in net worth, business owners, professionals, and inherited-wealth families who need to coordinate federal tax law, Connecticut tax law, and the specific irrevocable trust structures that compress taxable estates.

Who Owes Connecticut Estate Tax?

Connecticut estate tax applies to two categories of decedents: (1) Connecticut residents at the time of death, regardless of where their assets are located, and (2) non-Connecticut residents who owned real estate or tangible personal property physically located in Connecticut at the time of death. A Florida resident who owned a vacation home in Westport will owe Connecticut estate tax on the Connecticut real estate even though their primary residence and most assets are in Florida.

Connecticut estate tax is calculated on the ‘taxable estate,’ which is the gross estate (all assets at fair market value as of the date of death, including life insurance death benefit, retirement accounts, jointly held property, and revocable trust assets) minus allowable deductions (debts, funeral expenses, administrative expenses, charitable bequests, and the unlimited marital deduction for property passing to a U.S. citizen spouse). Importantly, the gross estate includes assets that pass outside probate — life insurance, retirement accounts, joint property, revocable trust assets — so probate avoidance (covered in our probate guide) does NOT avoid estate tax.

Below the $13.99 million exemption, no Connecticut estate tax is owed. Above the exemption, tax is imposed at a flat 12% rate. For most Connecticut residents, estate tax is not a concern — fewer than 1,000 Connecticut estates per year owe any estate tax under the current exemption. But for high-net-worth Connecticut families, particularly business owners and Fairfield County residents, the planning stakes are significant: a $25M estate without planning owes roughly $1.32M in Connecticut estate tax plus $4.4M in federal estate tax = $5.72M in combined tax. With proper planning, that figure can often be cut by 60%–90%.

The $13.99 Million Per-Person Exemption Explained

The Connecticut estate tax exemption is statutorily indexed to match the federal estate tax exemption (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-391). For deaths in 2026, the exemption is $13.99 million per individual ($27.98 million for married couples with proper portability planning). This represents a significant increase from previous years and reflects continued inflation adjustment of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act baseline.

How the exemption works in practice:

• The exemption is a ‘unified credit’ — it applies to the combined total of lifetime taxable gifts plus assets at death. Lifetime gifts above the annual exclusion ($19,000 per recipient in 2026) reduce the available exemption at death.
• The exemption applies per person. A single individual has one $13.99M exemption. A married couple has two — but only with proper planning (portability or credit shelter trust structures).
• The exemption is ‘use it or lose it’ at death — unused exemption can pass to a surviving spouse only via portability (an election made on the deceased spouse’s CT-706/Form 706).
• The exemption applies to BOTH federal and Connecticut estate tax simultaneously. There is no separate state exemption.

Connecticut’s exemption structure is unusual. Most states with estate taxes (Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Washington) have lower exemptions than the federal level — Massachusetts at $2M, Oregon at $1M, Washington at $2.193M. Connecticut alone among state estate tax jurisdictions matches the federal exemption, making it more taxpayer-friendly than its peers but also creating significant exposure if the federal exemption drops.

Connecticut Estate Tax Rate: 12% Flat (with $15M Cap)

For deaths in 2026, Connecticut imposes a flat 12% tax on the taxable estate above the $13.99M exemption. This is a major simplification from the graduated schedule used through 2022, which had rates ranging from 10.4% to 12% across different brackets. The flat 12% applies to every dollar above the exemption.

Connecticut caps the total state estate tax at $15 million per estate (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-391(g)). This cap is reached at approximately $138.99M in taxable estate. For ultra-high-net-worth Connecticut families above this level, the marginal Connecticut estate tax rate effectively drops to 0% beyond the $138.99M threshold — which is why some Connecticut billionaires actually pay LESS state estate tax as a percentage of estate than $50M estates.

Federal Estate Tax Coordination

The federal estate tax operates alongside the Connecticut estate tax. Both share the same $13.99M exemption in 2026. The federal rate is 40% on amounts above the exemption (versus 12% Connecticut). The federal tax has no cap.

For a Connecticut decedent with a $25M taxable estate (no surviving spouse, all assets to children), the combined tax bill in 2026:

• Taxable estate: $25,000,000
• Less exemption: -$13,990,000
• Amount subject to tax: $11,010,000
• Federal estate tax: $11,010,000 × 40% = $4,404,000
• Connecticut estate tax: $11,010,000 × 12% = $1,321,200
• Total estate tax: $5,725,200 (effective rate: 22.9% of gross estate)

Connecticut estate tax is deductible against the federal estate tax — but only as an itemized deduction at the state-tax line, not as a dollar-for-dollar credit. This deduction provides modest savings (the marginal federal benefit is 12% × 40% = 4.8% of the Connecticut tax paid).

Portability for Married Couples

Portability is the federal estate tax mechanism that allows a surviving spouse to use the deceased spouse’s unused exemption. Without portability, a married couple where one spouse died without using their exemption would lose that exemption entirely. With portability properly elected, the surviving spouse can use their own $13.99M exemption PLUS the deceased spouse’s unused exemption (the ‘DSUEA’ — Deceased Spouse Unused Exemption Amount), for a total of up to $27.98M of combined exemption.

Portability requires three things:

• Both spouses must be U.S. citizens (or planning around the non-citizen spouse rules using a Qualified Domestic Trust).
• The deceased spouse’s executor must file a federal Form 706 within 9 months of death (extendable to 15 months with timely Form 4768 extension) electing portability, even if no federal estate tax is owed.
• Connecticut adopted portability for state estate tax purposes effective for deaths after January 1, 2023, so the same election covers both federal and Connecticut DSUEA.

The critical practical point: portability is NOT automatic. If the first spouse dies and no Form 706 is filed within the deadlines, the deceased spouse’s exemption is lost forever. For a Connecticut couple with even moderate wealth (say $5M), this could mean a future $5.5M of unnecessary tax exposure when the surviving spouse dies. EVERY married Connecticut decedent’s estate should file Form 706 to elect portability, even if the estate is well below the exemption threshold. The cost is $1,500–$4,000 for attorney/accountant preparation — trivial compared to potential future tax savings.

Connecticut Gift Tax (Now Merged with Estate Tax Exemption)

Connecticut was historically the only U.S. state with a separate state-level gift tax. Effective January 1, 2026, Connecticut completed the multi-year merger of its gift tax with the estate tax exemption — the gift tax exemption now equals the estate tax exemption at $13.99M, and gifts use the same unified credit as bequests at death. This is a major simplification for Connecticut high-net-worth planning.

Connecticut gift tax rules in 2026:

• Annual exclusion: $19,000 per recipient per year (2026 federal limit; CT follows federal). Gifts at or below this amount are not reported and do not reduce lifetime exemption. Married couples can elect ‘gift splitting’ to give $38,000 jointly per recipient.
• Lifetime exemption: $13.99M (matches estate tax exemption). Gifts above the annual exclusion reduce this lifetime exemption dollar-for-dollar.
• Connecticut gift tax rate: 12% flat above the exemption (matches estate tax rate).
• Federal gift tax rate: 40% above the exemption.
• Gift tax return: Federal Form 709 required for any gift above the annual exclusion. Connecticut Form CT-706/709 covers both estate and gift tax filings.
• Medical and tuition payments: unlimited and not counted against annual exclusion if paid directly to the medical provider or educational institution. Grandparents paying college tuition directly to UConn or Yale do not reduce annual exclusion or lifetime exemption.
• 529 plan contributions: can be ‘super-funded’ with 5 years of annual exclusions in one year ($95K per recipient in 2026, or $190K from a married couple).

Strategic gifting moves wealth out of the taxable estate during life. A Connecticut grandparent with 6 grandchildren can give $19K × 6 = $114K per year tax-free without any reporting. A married couple can give $38K × 6 = $228K per year. Over a decade, this moves over $2.28M out of the estate with no tax consequence and no use of lifetime exemption.

CT-706 Filing for ALL Connecticut Estates

Connecticut requires the executor or administrator of every Connecticut estate to file Form CT-706/709 — the Connecticut Estate Tax Return — regardless of whether any estate tax is owed. This requirement catches Connecticut residents and executors off-guard because most other states only require an estate tax return when tax is owed.

Two versions of the CT-706 exist:

• Form CT-706 NT (No Tax): filed for estates where the Connecticut taxable estate is at or below the exemption. Filed with the local Probate Court, not the Department of Revenue Services. Used to formally document that no tax is owed.
• Form CT-706/709: filed for estates where the Connecticut taxable estate exceeds the exemption, OR where there are taxable gifts in the year of death. Filed with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services AND a copy to Probate Court.

Filing deadline: 6 months from date of death (with 6-month extension available on request). Penalties for late filing: $25/month up to $250 (no-tax estates); 10% of tax owed plus interest (taxable estates). The CT-706 NT filing is straightforward for executors of small estates — typically 2–4 hours of work using standard documentation. The full CT-706/709 for taxable estates is significantly more complex and almost always requires CPA or attorney preparation.

The 2026 Sunset Question: Will the Exemption Drop?

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the federal estate tax exemption from ~$5.5M to ~$11.18M per person (indexed), with a scheduled sunset on December 31, 2025 — at which point the exemption was set to revert to roughly $7M per person (the pre-2017 baseline indexed for inflation). Late 2025 federal legislation extended the higher exemption through 2026, but the long-term picture remains uncertain. The exemption could (1) be permanently extended at current levels, (2) be allowed to sunset to ~$7M in 2027, or (3) be modified at some intermediate level.

Implication for Connecticut high-net-worth families: the current exemption represents a planning window. A Connecticut couple with $20M in assets can use the full $27.98M combined exemption today by making major gifts in 2026. If the exemption drops to $14M combined in 2027, the family loses ~$14M of effective shelter — translating to roughly $5.6M of federal tax exposure plus $1.68M of Connecticut tax exposure. The IRS has issued anti-clawback regulations confirming that gifts made under the higher exemption will not be ‘clawed back’ if the exemption later drops, making 2026 the right year to act for families above $10M.

Practical Connecticut 2026 planning windows: (1) make annual exclusion gifts every year regardless; (2) make taxable lifetime gifts using current exemption if estate is above $7M and you can comfortably part with the assets; (3) fund or top up irrevocable trusts (ILIT, GRAT, IDGT) with assets that will grow outside the estate; (4) consider QPRTs for primary or vacation residences if healthy enough to outlive the trust term; (5) review and update existing irrevocable trusts to make sure they take advantage of the current GST exemption ($13.99M, also potentially sunsetting).

7 Estate Tax Planning Strategies for Connecticut Families

Seven major irrevocable trust strategies are used by Connecticut high-net-worth families to compress taxable estates. Each solves a different problem; most large estates use 3–5 in combination. The right mix depends on the asset composition, family situation, charitable goals, and risk tolerance.

Strategy 1: ILIT — Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust

An ILIT owns a life insurance policy on the grantor’s life. Because the trust (not the grantor) owns the policy, the death benefit is excluded from the grantor’s taxable estate. For a Connecticut grantor with a $5M permanent life insurance policy purchased for estate liquidity, an ILIT removes that $5M from the taxable estate, saving roughly $2.6M in combined federal and Connecticut estate tax at the highest marginal brackets.

ILIT mechanics: (1) grantor establishes an irrevocable trust naming a spouse, child, or independent trustee; (2) trust applies for and owns the life insurance policy from inception (or grantor transfers an existing policy, which triggers a 3-year lookback); (3) grantor gifts cash to the trust each year to pay premiums; (4) trust beneficiaries receive ‘Crummey notices’ giving them a 30-day right to withdraw the premium gift (this qualifies the gift for annual exclusion); (5) at grantor’s death, the policy proceeds are paid to the trust, which distributes per trust terms to beneficiaries — entirely outside the taxable estate.

Best uses: estate liquidity (paying estate tax without selling business or real estate); leveraged wealth transfer (premium dollars buy multiple of death benefit); business succession (key-person and buy-sell life insurance); dynasty planning (combined with GST trust). Setup cost: $2,500–$5,000 attorney fee plus annual Crummey notice administration ($300–$500/year).

Strategy 2: GRAT — Grantor Retained Annuity Trust

A GRAT is an irrevocable trust into which the grantor transfers appreciating assets, retaining an annuity payment for a fixed term (typically 2–10 years). The remainder beneficiaries (typically children) receive whatever is left in the trust at the end of the term. The estate planning magic: if the trust assets appreciate faster than the IRS Section 7520 rate (a federally-published interest rate), the excess appreciation passes to beneficiaries with no gift tax.

GRAT mechanics: a ‘zeroed-out GRAT’ is structured so the present value of the annuity equals the value of the transferred asset, making the gift tax value of the remainder interest zero. If the assets appreciate above the 7520 rate (currently 5.0%–5.4% in 2026), the appreciation passes to beneficiaries tax-free. If assets perform poorly (or grantor dies during the term), assets return to the grantor’s estate — there is no downside other than the modest legal cost.

Best uses: assets expected to appreciate significantly (stock in pre-IPO companies, restricted stock units, private equity, hedge fund interests). Connecticut Fairfield County hedge fund partners and Greenwich private equity executives are heavy users of rolling GRATs. Setup cost: $5,000–$15,000 per GRAT; multi-year strategies require ongoing administration.

Strategy 3: IDGT — Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust

An IDGT is an irrevocable trust that is treated as the grantor’s for income tax purposes (so the grantor pays the trust’s income tax) but is treated as outside the grantor’s estate for estate tax purposes. This dual treatment creates powerful planning leverage: the grantor’s payment of the trust’s income tax is effectively an additional tax-free gift to the beneficiaries (because it allows the trust assets to grow without being depleted by income tax).

IDGT installment sale strategy: the grantor sells appreciating assets to the IDGT in exchange for a promissory note at the IRS Applicable Federal Rate (AFR). Because the grantor and trust are the same for income tax purposes, the sale generates no capital gains. The trust pays the grantor interest on the note, which is also disregarded for income tax. Future appreciation above the AFR passes to beneficiaries with no transfer tax. Best for: closely-held business interests, real estate partnerships, and similar high-appreciation assets. Setup cost: $7,500–$20,000 plus annual administration.

Strategy 4: QPRT — Qualified Personal Residence Trust

A QPRT is an irrevocable trust into which the grantor transfers their personal residence (primary home or one vacation home, but not both), retaining the right to live there rent-free for a fixed term (typically 10–20 years). At the end of the term, the home passes to remainder beneficiaries (typically adult children). The estate planning benefit: the gift tax value of the transferred home is discounted based on the grantor’s retained life estate, allowing transfer of perhaps $2M of home value at a gift tax cost of perhaps $900K–$1.2M.

QPRT considerations: if the grantor dies during the QPRT term, the entire home value comes back into the taxable estate (eliminating the benefit). After the term, the grantor must pay fair-market rent to remain in the home (which is itself a transfer technique, moving cash out of the estate). Best for: healthy Connecticut grantors age 55–75 with $5M+ estates and significant home equity. Greenwich, New Canaan, and Westport residents with $3M+ homes are common QPRT users. Setup cost: $4,000–$8,000.

Strategy 5: CLAT — Charitable Lead Annuity Trust

A CLAT is an irrevocable trust that pays an annuity to a designated charity for a fixed term (typically 10–20 years), with the remainder passing to family beneficiaries at the end. The grantor receives an immediate income tax deduction (for grantor CLATs) or estate/gift tax discount (for non-grantor CLATs) equal to the present value of the charitable annuity stream. If trust assets earn more than the 7520 rate, the excess passes to family beneficiaries with no transfer tax.

Best for: Connecticut families with strong charitable intent who also want to transfer wealth to children. Particularly valuable when interest rates are low (low 7520 rate maximizes the family benefit). Setup cost: $5,000–$15,000.

Strategy 6: CRT — Charitable Remainder Trust

A CRT is essentially the inverse of a CLAT: the grantor (or named beneficiary) receives an annuity for a fixed term or life, with the remainder passing to charity at the end. The grantor receives an immediate income tax deduction for the present value of the future charitable gift, plus the ability to convert highly appreciated assets (low-basis stock, real estate) into a diversified income stream with no immediate capital gains tax.

Best for: Connecticut residents with highly appreciated single-stock positions (executives at Travelers, Aetna, ESPN, hedge fund partners), real estate with low basis, or families wanting predictable retirement income with charitable component. Setup cost: $5,000–$12,000.

Strategy 7: Dynasty Trust + GST Planning

A dynasty trust is an irrevocable trust designed to hold assets for multiple generations — typically children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren — without being subject to estate tax at each generation’s death. The trust uses the grantor’s federal Generation Skipping Transfer (GST) exemption ($13.99M in 2026, matching the estate tax exemption) to make trust distributions to skip-generation beneficiaries (grandchildren and beyond) without triggering the 40% GST tax.

Connecticut’s rule against perpetuities was reformed in 2008 to allow trusts to continue for up to 800 years (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-491), making Connecticut competitive with Delaware, Nevada, and South Dakota for dynasty trust situs. A properly structured Connecticut dynasty trust funded with $13.99M of growth assets at modest 5% real growth becomes ~$57M in 30 years, ~$232M in 60 years, and ~$945M in 90 years — all without estate tax at children’s or grandchildren’s deaths. Setup cost: $10,000–$25,000 plus ongoing trustee fees.

Annual Gifting Strategy (For Every CT High-Net-Worth Family)

Even families with sophisticated trust structures should be maxing annual exclusion gifts every year. The math is powerful: a Connecticut couple with 3 children and 6 grandchildren can give 9 recipients × $38K (joint annual exclusion) = $342K per year tax-free. Over 20 years, that moves $6.84M out of the taxable estate without using any lifetime exemption. With market appreciation, the actual wealth transferred to beneficiaries is significantly higher.

Additional unlimited gifting techniques: (1) pay grandchildren’s college tuition directly to the school (UConn, Yale, Quinnipiac, Trinity, Fairfield, Wesleyan); (2) pay grandchildren’s medical bills directly to providers; (3) super-fund 529 plans with 5 years of annual exclusions in one year; (4) make gifts of partial interests in family businesses or LLC interests with valuation discounts (typically 25%–40%) for lack of control and marketability.

Three Connecticut High-Net-Worth Scenarios

Scenario 1: $8M Estate, Married Couple, West Hartford

Robert and Susan, both 65, $8M combined net worth ($1.4M home, $3.6M retirement, $2.5M brokerage, $500K life insurance). Below combined $27.98M exemption — no estate tax owed at either death IF they elect portability properly. Plan: revocable living trust holds non-retirement assets; pour-over wills; portability election Form 706 at first death; annual exclusion gifts to 2 adult children ($38K × 2 = $76K/year for 20 years = $1.52M moved tax-free); CT-706 NT filing at each death documenting no tax owed. Total estate tax: $0. Total planning cost: $4,500 plus $2,500 at first death for Form 706.

Scenario 2: $25M Estate, Widowed 70-Year-Old, Greenwich

Eleanor, 70, widowed, $25M net worth ($4M Greenwich home, $12M brokerage from inheritance, $5M IRA, $4M private equity interests). Husband died 2 years ago WITH portability election filed, so Eleanor has $27.98M combined exemption. Plan: revocable trust holds home and brokerage; ILIT funded with $5M permanent life policy ($2.6M annual premium funded through 8 years of annual exclusion gifts plus exemption use); QPRT on Greenwich home transferring to children at discounted gift value; dynasty trust funded with $5M of private equity interests using GST exemption. Estimated estate tax with planning: $0 (estate compressed to under combined exemption). Without planning at current exemption: $1.32M Connecticut + $4.4M federal = $5.72M. Planning cost: $25,000 over 2 years.

Scenario 3: $75M Estate, Business Owner Couple, Stamford

James and Patricia, both 58, own a $50M Stamford-based manufacturing business plus $25M in personal assets. Three adult children, two active in business. Plan: (1) IDGT installment sale of 40% of business at valuation discount to dynasty trust = $20M out of estate; (2) GRAT rolled annually with growth assets; (3) ILIT with $20M survivorship life policy for estate liquidity; (4) QPRT on $5M Stamford waterfront home; (5) annual exclusion gifts to 3 children + spouses + 4 grandchildren = 10 recipients × $38K = $380K/year; (6) buy-sell agreement funded with business-owned life insurance. Estimated estate tax with planning: $4M–$6M (significantly compressed from $20M+ without planning). Planning cost: $75,000 over 3 years plus ongoing trustee fees.

Critical 2026-2027 Deadlines for CT Estate Planning

• March 15, 2026 — partnership and S-corp tax returns due (relevant for valuation of business interests).
• April 15, 2026 — gift tax returns (Form 709) for 2025 gifts due.
• December 31, 2026 — final deadline to make lifetime gifts using the current $13.99M exemption if exemption sunsets January 1, 2027.
• Every year — review beneficiary designations on all retirement accounts and life insurance.
• Every 3-5 years — review estate plan and trust structures with attorney.
• Every 5-10 years — formally restate trusts to reflect current tax law and family changes.
• Within 9 months of any death — federal Form 706 filing (with 6-month extension available).
• Within 6 months of any death — Connecticut Form CT-706/709 filing (with 6-month extension available).
• Within 12 months of any death — late portability election available for non-taxable estates under Rev. Proc. 2022-32 (5-year window).

Top 10 Connecticut Estate Tax Planning Mistakes

• Failing to elect portability at first spouse’s death — loses up to $13.99M of unused exemption forever.
• Failing to file CT-706 NT for non-taxable estates — required filing regardless of size; $25-$250 penalty per estate.
• Holding large life insurance policies personally instead of in an ILIT — exposes death benefit to 12% CT + 40% federal estate tax.
• Waiting too long to fund irrevocable trusts — once cognitive decline begins, planning capacity is questioned.
• Funding a GRAT or QPRT and dying during the term — entire benefit lost if grantor doesn’t survive.
• Failing to use annual exclusion gifts — leaves $150K-$400K per year of tax-free transfer capacity unused.
• Naming the estate as beneficiary of retirement accounts — defeats tax-efficient stretch and exposes to creditors.
• Forgetting GST exemption allocation when funding dynasty trusts — wastes exemption that cannot be recovered.
• Using out-of-state estate planning for Connecticut assets — Connecticut-specific tax rules and Probate Court procedures require Connecticut counsel.
• Procrastinating on 2026 gifting opportunities — anti-clawback regulations make current exemption use safe, but only if completed before any potential sunset.

Connecticut Estate Tax FAQ

What is the Connecticut estate tax exemption in 2026?

$13.99 million per individual in 2026, matching the federal estate tax exemption. Married couples with proper portability planning can shield up to $27.98 million combined. Above the exemption, Connecticut imposes a flat 12% tax, capped at $15 million total per estate.

Does Connecticut still have a separate gift tax?

Effective 2026, Connecticut’s gift tax exemption fully merges with the estate tax exemption at $13.99 million. Gifts above the annual exclusion ($19,000 per recipient) reduce the unified exemption available at death. Connecticut remains the only state with any state-level gift tax mechanism.

Do I have to file a Connecticut estate tax return if no tax is owed?

Yes. Connecticut requires Form CT-706 NT (No Tax) filing for ALL Connecticut estates regardless of size, filed with the local Probate Court within 6 months of death. Penalties for late filing start at $25/month up to $250 for no-tax estates.

What is portability and why does it matter?

Portability lets a surviving spouse use the deceased spouse’s unused exemption. Requires filing federal Form 706 within 9 months of first death (extendable to 15 months). Without this election, the first spouse’s exemption is lost forever, potentially costing the family millions in future estate tax.

Will the federal estate tax exemption drop in 2027?

Possibly. The 2017 TCJA exemption was scheduled to sunset December 31, 2025, but emergency 2025 legislation extended it through 2026. Long-term, the exemption could permanently extend, sunset to ~$7M, or settle at an intermediate level. The IRS has confirmed anti-clawback rules protect gifts made under the higher exemption.

How much does CT high-net-worth estate planning cost?

Basic CT estate plan with revocable trust: $3,000–$5,000. Comprehensive plan with one or two irrevocable trusts: $7,500–$20,000. Complex multi-trust plan (ILIT + GRAT + IDGT + dynasty trust + business succession): $25,000–$75,000+ over 2–3 years. Annual maintenance: $2,000–$10,000+ depending on complexity.

Series Complete: Coordinate Your CT Estate Plan With Insurance

Estate tax planning is the most sophisticated form of Connecticut estate planning, with millions of dollars of family wealth turning on the precision of trust structures and the timing of major gifts. We work alongside Connecticut estate attorneys to coordinate the insurance components of your plan: term life insurance for income replacement during working years, permanent life insurance held in an ILIT for estate tax liquidity, long-term care insurance protecting wealth from end-of-life costs, and survivorship life insurance funding multi-generational wealth transfers. Call (203) 826-6680 or request a quote to start the conversation about your Connecticut estate plan. This article completes our 10-part Connecticut estate planning series for 2026 — see related articles below for the full series.

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