Many states have their own estate tax laws that you need to worry about. With the current law phasing out the estate tax over the next few years, the state's are beginning to feel the pinch of having less federal estate-tax revenue coming in.

Several states, especially those with budget issues, are levying some forms of estate and inheritance tax on their own.

Twenty-four states and Washington, D.C. now have an estate or inheritance tax. Some of these laws are new, some are not.

Although the current federal law exempts the first $2 million of an estate's worth, the threshold in some states is much lower. With a home, a retirement account and other investments, many estates easily become taxed by the state.

For example, in New Jersey, estates worth over $675,000 are subject to some form of state inheritance or estate tax.

The threshold is $1 million in D.C., Kansas, Main, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma and Oregon.

The maximum rate varies, but is usually around 16%. Federally, you can recieve a deduction on your federal estate-tax liability based on the amount of estate tax paid to the state.

Don't just assume that since the federal estate tax is phasing out for a few years that you are out of the way. Estate taxes vary from state to state.

This leaves many people needing to think over where they choose to retire. Many states are starting to feel the pain of this as well, with several repealing their estate-tax laws to discourage high-income residents from leaving. For example, Oklahoma will be eliminating its estate tax over a three-year period.