Please note: Ohio was one of the few states that had a stand-alone estate tax, independent of the federal estate tax. The information provided below (by subscription from a national service) is not Ohio-specific and does not contemplate the impact of Ohio law on either estate tax or probate distribution rules.
The Ohio Estate Tax was repealed effective January 1, 2013. Estates of persons dying before that date are required to file an Ohio Estate tax return if the decedent's net assets exceeded $383,333 (except out-of-Ohio real estate and life insurance with a beneficiary other than "estate".) The federal credit for state estate tax was eliminated and does not apply for estates of persons dying in 2011 and 2012.
Ohio law exempts from probate (and therefore exempts from instructions in a Will) some assets for married couples, such as two cars (including pickup trucks and motorcycles) and one boat, motor and trailer. However, whether an asset is or is not a probate asset does not affect whether or not the asset is subject to Ohio estate tax.
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The subject matter information presented on this website is of a general nature, designed to provide an overview of various subjects, and most of it is not Ohio-specific. The authors, publisher and host are not providing legal, accounting, or specific advice to your situation.