Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog:  Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia currently impose a death tax on their taxpayers. These taxpayers have options when it comes to avoiding paying these taxes, however.

One option is to make a large lifetime gift. The current federal law grants taxpayers a $5 million gift exemption ($10 million for married couples). Another option is to make annual exclusion gifts. Taxpayers can give an unlimited number of people gifts up to the annual exclusion amount ($13,000, currently) without incurring a gift tax.