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Home→Tools→Step-Up Basis Calculator→Hawaii

How Does Step-Up in Basis Work in Hawaii?

Estimate the new cost basis on inherited assets in Hawaii under IRC § 1014, project federal and state capital gains tax if you sell, and see how much the step-up at death saves in taxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Inherited property generally takes a new cost basis equal to its fair market value on the date of death, under IRC § 101426 USC § 1014Verified May 4, 2026. The reset wipes out the appreciation that built up during the prior owner's lifetime — a beneficiary who later sells only owes capital gains tax on growth after death. Because § 1014 is federal law, the same rule applies in Hawaii and every other state.

Whether you owe state tax on the gain depends on where you live. Hawaii offers an alternative 7.25% rate on capital gainsHRS § 235-51(f); Form N-11 Instructions (Tax on Capital Gains Worksheet)Verified May 7, 2026. Long-term capital gains can be taxed at a flat 7.25% instead of being added to ordinary income. The election is available when taxable income exceeds $48,000. Taxpayers compute both methods and pay the lower amount.

For tax purposes, inheriting assets is usually better than receiving them as a lifetime gift. Inherited property gets a step-up in basis to fair market value at death under IRC § 101426 USC § 1014Verified May 4, 2026; gifted property carries the donor's original basis under IRC § 101526 USC § 1015(a)Verified May 4, 2026. If the donor bought stock at $10,000 that's now worth $200,000, a recipient who sells after a gift owes capital gains tax on the full $190,000 of appreciation. The same recipient inheriting the same stock owes tax only on appreciation after the date of death. A revocable living trust preserves the step-up — assets held in the trust during life still receive the basis adjustment at death.

No. Inherited property automatically receives long-term capital gains treatment regardless of how long you hold it before selling, per IRC § 1223(9)26 USC § 1223(9)Verified May 4, 2026. Even if you sell the day after inheriting, the gain (if any, after the step-up) is taxed at long-term federal rates of 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on income (IRC § 1(h))IRC § 1(h); IRS Topic No. 409Verified May 4, 2026. This is one reason inherited assets are tax-advantaged compared to gifted assets.

Documentation depends on the asset type. Stocks and mutual funds use the average of the high and low trading prices on the date of death (IRS Pub. 551)IRS Pub. 551 (Basis of Assets); Form 8971 / Schedule AVerified May 4, 2026. Real estate calls for a qualified appraisal effective as of the date of death. Closely held business interests typically require a formal valuation by an independent appraiser, particularly when a Form 706 estate tax return is filed. Retain every valuation; it supports the basis you report on Schedule D when the asset is sold.

The alternate valuation date (AVD) is an executor election under IRC § 2032§ 1014(a)(2); § 2032Verified May 4, 2026 that values estate property six months after death rather than on the date of death. It applies to the entire estate, not on an asset-by-asset basis, and is permitted only when it lowers both the gross estate and the federal estate tax due. When the election is made, beneficiaries take the AVD figure as their stepped-up basis. AVD is only in play for estates filing a federal estate tax return — those exceeding $15 million per individual.

IRC § 1014(e)§ 1014(e)Verified May 4, 2026blocks the step-up in this case. If the decedent received appreciated property by gift within one year of death and the property passes back to the original donor (or the donor's spouse), the basis reverts to the decedent's adjusted basis rather than receiving a step-up. The rule exists to prevent families from gifting appreciated property to a dying relative purely to harvest a basis adjustment.

Step-Up in Basis in Hawaii

Step-up in basis is a federal rule (IRC § 1014) that applies to inherited assets in every state, including Hawaii. When someone dies, the cost basis of property they leave to heirs resets to fair market value on the date of death. If the heir later sells, capital gains tax is calculated against this stepped-up basis instead of what the original owner paid. For appreciated assets held for years or decades, the step-up can eliminate most or all of the gain.

Hawaii offers an alternative 7.25% rate on long-term capital gains (available when taxable income exceeds $48,000). The election is computed alongside ordinary tax treatment, and taxpayers pay the lower of the two. After the step-up reduces the gain, the alternative rate often produces the lowest total tax.

For Hawaii families, the step-up in basis is one of the strongest tax reasons to inherit appreciated property rather than receive it as a gift during life. A Hawaii revocable living trust preserves the step-up — assets held in the trust during life still receive the basis adjustment at death — while avoiding the probate process that a will alone triggers.

Hawaii Estate Planning Resources

In-depth guides covering Hawaii probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.

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