I have heard that members of a House and Senate negotiating committee have worked out a compromise on estate tax reform. While details are still not know, it appears that the estate tax would be kept permanently at the 2009 levels. This means that individuals could exempt $3.5-million from Federal estate taxes and a couple, with basic estate tax planning, could exempt $7-million from Federal estate taxes. Estates over these amounts would be taxed at a 45 percent rate.