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H 8190Taxes

Taxation - Estate and Transfer Taxes - Liability and Computation

This bill gradually increases the amount of property exempt from estate taxes and completely eliminates the Rhode Island estate tax by 2033.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Finance

Plain-English Summary

This legislation outlines a multi-year plan to phase out the Rhode Island estate tax, commonly known as the "death tax." Currently, estates valued above a certain threshold are taxed upon the owner's death. This bill raises that exemption threshold significantly starting in 2027 to $5 million, then to $7.5 million in 2029, and $10 million in 2031. Finally, for any deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2033, the state estate tax will be completely eliminated. It also includes provisions to adjust credit amounts for inflation during the phase-out period.

For younger readers

When a person dies, they often leave behind money, a house, and other things to their family. Right now, if that amount is very high, the government takes a part of it as a tax. This bill changes the rules so the government takes less money over the next few years. It raises the amount of money a person can leave behind without being taxed. By the year 2033, the government will stop taking this tax entirely, letting families keep everything that was left to them.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Wealthy IndividualsHeirs and BeneficiariesFamily Business OwnersEstate Planning AttorneysAccountants
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • May prevent "capital flight" by encouraging wealthy residents to stay in Rhode Island rather than moving to states without estate taxes, thereby preserving the annual income tax base which funds social services.
  • Protects asset-rich but cash-poor families, such as those inheriting a family home or small business that has appreciated in value, preventing the forced sale of these assets to pay tax bills.
  • Adjusts tax thresholds for inflation, which corrects "bracket creep" and ensures that the tax strictly targets the ultra-wealthy rather than inadvertently capturing upper-middle-class families due to rising property values.
  • Eliminates a significant source of progressive state revenue, which will likely result in budget cuts to public education, infrastructure, and safety net programs that the poor and disadvantaged rely on.
  • Exacerbates wealth inequality by allowing the accumulation of dynastic wealth among the richest families in the state without any redistribution back to the community.
  • Shifts the overall tax burden away from the wealthy and onto the working class, as the state may look to increase sales taxes or fees to make up for the lost estate tax revenue.
For Conservatives
  • Eliminates the "death tax," preventing the government from seizing assets that have already been taxed during the earner's lifetime, thereby respecting private property rights and preventing double taxation.
  • Encourages economic growth and investment by making Rhode Island a more attractive place for retirees and business owners to live and die, rather than driving them to tax-friendly states like Florida.
  • Allows family businesses and multi-generational farms to be passed down to heirs intact, without the destructive financial burden of liquidation to satisfy a government tax bill.
  • The phase-out period is exceptionally long, forcing citizens to wait until 2033 for full relief, meaning the government continues to confiscate wealth for nearly another decade.
  • Continues to rely on federal government definitions and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for inflation adjustments, maintaining a dependence on federal bureaucracy.
  • Does not include immediate spending cuts to match the future revenue reduction, potentially leading to fiscal mismanagement or debt if the government does not shrink its size accordingly.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 42 additions

SECTION 1. Section 44-22-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 44-22 entitled "Estate and Transfer Taxes — Liability and Computation" is hereby amended to read as follows: 44-22-1.1. Tax on net estate of decedent. (a)(1) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 1992, but prior to January 1, 2002, a tax is imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every resident or nonresident decedent as a tax upon the right to transfer. The tax is a sum equal to the maximum credit for state death taxes allowed by 26 U.S.C. § 2011.

(2) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2002, but prior to January 1, 2010, a tax is imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every resident or nonresident decedent as a tax upon the right to transfer. The tax is a sum equal to the maximum credit for state death taxes allowed by 26 U.S.C. § 2011 as it was in effect as of January 1, 2001; provided, however, that the tax shall be imposed only if the net taxable estate shall exceed six hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($675,000). Any scheduled increase in the unified credit provided in 26 U.S.C. § 2010 in effect on January 1, 2001, or thereafter, shall not apply.

(3) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2010, and prior to January 1, 2015, a tax is imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every resident or nonresident decedent as a tax upon the right to transfer. The tax is a sum equal to the maximum credit for state death taxes allowed by 26 U.S.C. § 2011 as it was in effect as of January 1, 2001; provided, however, that the tax shall be imposed only if the net taxable estate shall exceed eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($850,000); provided, further, beginning on January 1, 2011, and each January 1 thereafter until January 1, 2015, said amount shall be adjusted by the percentage of increase in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States Department of Labor Statistics determined as of September 30 of the prior calendar year; said adjustment shall be compounded annually and shall be rounded up to the nearest five dollar ($5.00) increment. Any scheduled increase in the unified credit provided in 26 U.S.C. § 2010 in effect on January 1, 2003, or thereafter, shall not apply.

(4) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2015, a tax is imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every resident or nonresident decedent as a tax upon the right to transfer. The tax is a sum equal to the maximum credit for state death taxes allowed by 26 U.S.C. § 2011, as it was in effect as of January 1, 2001; provided, however, that a Rhode Island credit shall be allowed against any tax so determined in the amount of sixty-four thousand four hundred ($64,400). Any scheduled increase in the unified credit provided in 26 U.S.C. § 2010 in effect on January 1, 2003, or thereafter, shall not apply; provided, further, beginning on January 1, 2016, and each January 1 thereafter, said Rhode Island credit amount under this section shall be adjusted by the percentage of increase in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States Department of Labor Statistics determined as of September 30 of the prior calendar year; said adjustment shall be compounded annually and shall be rounded up to the nearest five dollar ($5.00) increment.

(5) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2027, a tax is imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every resident or nonresident decedent as a tax upon the right to transfer. The tax shall be imposed only if the net taxable estate shall exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000). The tax is a sum equal to the maximum credit for state death taxes allowed by 26 U.S.C. § 2011, as it was in effect as of January 1, 2001; provided, however, that a Rhode Island credit shall be allowed against any tax so determined. Any scheduled increase in the unified credit provided in 26 U.S.C. § 2010 in effect on January 1, 2003, or thereafter, shall not apply; provided, further, beginning on January 1, 2028, and each January 1 thereafter, said Rhode Island credit amount under this section shall be adjusted by the percentage of increase in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics determined as of September 30 of the prior calendar year; said adjustment shall be compounded annually and shall be rounded up to the nearest five dollar ($5.00) increment.

(6) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2029, a tax is imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every resident or nonresident decedent as a tax upon the right to transfer. The tax shall be imposed only if the net taxable estate shall exceed seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000). The tax is a sum equal to the maximum credit for state death taxes allowed by 26 U.S.C. § 2011, as it was in effect as of January 1, 2001; provided, however, that a Rhode Island credit shall be allowed against any tax so determined. Any scheduled increase in the unified credit provided in 26 U.S.C. § 2010 in effect on January 1, 2003, or thereafter, shall not apply; provided, further, beginning on January 1, 2030, and each January 1 thereafter, said Rhode Island credit amount under this section shall be adjusted by the percentage of increase in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics determined as of September 30 of the prior calendar year; said adjustment shall be compounded annually and shall be rounded up to the nearest five dollar ($5.00) increment.

(7) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2031, a tax is imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every resident or nonresident decedent as a tax upon the right to transfer. The tax shall be imposed only if the net taxable estate shall exceed ten million dollars ($10,000,000). The tax is a sum equal to the maximum credit for state death taxes allowed by 26 U.S.C. § 2011, as it was in effect as of January 1, 2001; provided, however, that a Rhode Island credit shall be allowed against any tax so determined. Any scheduled increase in the unified credit provided in 26 U.S.C. § 2010 in effect on January 1, 2003, or thereafter, shall not apply; provided, further, beginning on January 1, 2032, and each January 1 thereafter, said Rhode Island credit amount under this section shall be adjusted by the percentage of increase in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics determined as of September 30 of the prior calendar year; said adjustment shall be compounded annually and shall be rounded up to the nearest five dollar ($5.00) increment.

(8) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2033, there shall be no tax imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every resident or nonresident decedent.

(b) If the decedent’s estate contains property having a tax situs not within the state, then the tax determined by this section is reduced to an amount determined by multiplying the tax by a fraction whose numerator is the gross estate excluding all property having a tax situs not within the state at the decedent’s death and whose denominator is the gross estate. In determining the fraction, no deductions are considered and the gross estate is not reduced by a mortgage or other indebtedness for which the decedent’s estate is not liable. (c)(1) The terms “gross taxable estate,” “federal gross estate” or “net taxable estate” used in this chapter or chapter 23 of this title has the same meaning as when used in a comparable context in the laws of the United States, unless a different meaning is clearly required by the provisions of this chapter or chapter 23 of this title. Any reference in this chapter or chapter 23 of this title to the Internal Revenue Code or other laws of the United States means the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 26 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.

(2) For decedents whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2002, the terms “gross taxable estate” “federal gross estate” or “net taxable estate” used in this chapter or chapter 23 of this title has the same meaning as when used in a comparable context in the laws of the United States, unless a different meaning is clearly required by the provisions of this chapter or chapter 23 of this title. Any reference in this chapter or chapter 23 of this title to the Internal Revenue Code or other laws of the United States means the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 26 U.S.C. § 1 et seq., as they were in effect as of January 1, 2001, unless otherwise provided.

(d) All values are as finally determined for federal estate tax purposes.

(e) Property has a tax situs within the state of Rhode Island:

(1) If it is real estate or tangible personal property and has actual situs within the state of Rhode Island; or

(2) If it is intangible personal property and the decedent was a resident.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.