Missouri
Estate planning basics in Missouri
Missouri has no state estate tax, has no inheritance tax, is not a community property state, and allows a transfer on death deed for real estate. The details are below, in plain words, as Legacy Guard shows them to families in Missouri.
| Estate tax | None |
|---|---|
| Inheritance tax | None |
| Community property | No. Missouri is not a community property state. |
| Small estate limit | Small estate affidavit through the probate court for estates up to $40,000, 30 days after death. |
| Transfer on death deed | Yes. Missouri was the first state with a beneficiary deed (1989) and it is widely used. |
| Probate | Missouri probate is a court process that stays open at least six months for creditor claims and is public. Beneficiary deeds and transfer on death titles let many families avoid probate without a trust, and living trusts are common for larger estates. |
| Homestead | Missouri protects $15,000 of home equity from creditors and gives a surviving spouse a homestead allowance from the estate. |
| Vehicles | Yes. Missouri allows a transfer on death beneficiary on a vehicle title through the Department of Revenue. |
| Last reviewed | October 21, 2026 |
State rules are general information kept current by Legacy Guard, last reviewed October 21, 2026. Your attorney's advice comes first. Figures that are adjusted each year are given for the year stated.
What this means for your plan
- Missouri has no state estate tax, so only the federal exemption of $15 million per person (2026) applies. Most families will not owe federal estate tax, but a plan still decides who gets what and how smoothly.
- A transfer on death deed can pass your home to a named person without probate. It does not replace a trust, and it needs to be coordinated with one, but it is a simple tool worth asking about.
- Small estate rules only matter if little or nothing goes through probate. A funded trust and up to date beneficiary designations are what keep an estate small in the first place, and that is exactly what the Legacy Guard annual review checks each year.
Questions about Missouri
- Does Missouri have an estate tax?
- No. Missouri has no state estate tax. The federal estate tax exemption is $15 million per person for 2026.
- Does Missouri have an inheritance tax?
- No. Missouri does not tax what an heir receives.
- Is Missouri a community property state?
- No. Missouri is a common law property state. Missouri probate is a court process that stays open at least six months for creditor claims and is public. Beneficiary deeds and transfer on death titles let many families avoid probate without a trust, and living trusts are common for larger estates.
- Does Missouri allow a transfer on death deed for real estate?
- Yes. Missouri was the first state with a beneficiary deed (1989) and it is widely used.
- What is the small estate limit in Missouri?
- Small estate affidavit through the probate court for estates up to $40,000, 30 days after death.
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