Utah
Estate planning basics in Utah
Utah 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 Utah.
| Estate tax | None |
|---|---|
| Inheritance tax | None |
| Community property | No. Utah is not a community property state. |
| Small estate limit | Affidavit for personal property up to $100,000, 30 days after death. Real estate cannot pass by affidavit. |
| Transfer on death deed | Yes. Utah allows a transfer on death deed for real estate. |
| Probate | Utah probate has an informal option and is relatively simple, but it is public and takes at least three months for creditor claims. Living trusts and transfer on death deeds are both common. |
| Homestead | Utah protects about $50,000 of home equity per person (adjusted yearly) from most creditors, and owner-occupants get a residential property tax exemption on 45 percent of the home's value. |
| Vehicles | No beneficiary designation on a vehicle title. A vehicle passes by the small estate affidavit or through the estate. |
| 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
- Utah 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 Utah
- Does Utah have an estate tax?
- No. Utah has no state estate tax. The federal estate tax exemption is $15 million per person for 2026.
- Does Utah have an inheritance tax?
- No. Utah does not tax what an heir receives.
- Is Utah a community property state?
- No. Utah is a common law property state. Utah probate has an informal option and is relatively simple, but it is public and takes at least three months for creditor claims. Living trusts and transfer on death deeds are both common.
- Does Utah allow a transfer on death deed for real estate?
- Yes. Utah allows a transfer on death deed for real estate.
- What is the small estate limit in Utah?
- Affidavit for personal property up to $100,000, 30 days after death. Real estate cannot pass by affidavit.
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