From Forbes:
The Forbes piece details estate tax rate changes that take place January 1, both with the federal death tax and state death taxes.
As of Jan. 1, 2012, the federal estate tax exemption will be indexed for the first time, so that for 2012, up to $5.12 million of an estate will be exempt from the current 35% federal estate tax. That’s up from $5 million in 2011, meaning an individual could leave $120,000 more federal-estate-tax-free if he dies on Jan. 1, 2012, not Dec. 31, 2011. Meanwhile, separate state levies are still a big concern for families. And there are changes for 2012 on the state levies on dying—for better and for worse.
