N
The Global Insight

How much tax do you pay on money from a will?

Author

John Johnson

Updated on March 12, 2026

When you receive your inheritance, there really isn’t any income tax on it. Of course, this applies to California. In California, we do not have a state level inheritance tax. There really is no tax that would be chargeable to you as a beneficiary for receiving an inheritance.

Do you have to pay taxes on willed money?

Inheritances are not considered income for federal tax purposes, whether you inherit cash, investments or property. Any gains when you sell inherited investments or property are generally taxable, but you can usually also claim losses on these sales.

What are the income tax consequences for the beneficiaries?

When trust beneficiaries receive distributions from the trust’s principal balance, they do not have to pay taxes on the distribution. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assumes this money was already taxed before it was placed into the trust.

What are the tax ramifications of owning MLPs?

However, investors need to be aware of the three biggest tax ramifications of owning these assets which are: more complicated tax preparation, complications with owning them in retirement accounts, and the need to hold them for many years to maximize their full tax benefits.

When does the IRS think something is wrong with your tax return?

These are activities that occur when the IRS thinks something might be wrong with a tax return. They include: Math error notices. The IRS sends a letter noting that someone made a math error on a tax return and the IRS corrected it. Automated substitute for return.

What does the IRS look for on a tax return?

The IRS sometimes applies benchmarking to understand whether a tax return falls within normal averages on certain items. For example, if you report $60,000 in income and $50,000 in deductions, that might fall outside of the normal range for someone with that level of income.

What are the activities of the IRS in 2019?

In 2019, the IRS processed more than 5 million compliance activities. These are activities that occur when the IRS thinks something might be wrong with a tax return. They include: Math error notices.