Do I have to pay inheritance tax on what I receive?

This depends on where you live and how much she left you - some states have inheritance taxes and some don't, and there's also the federal estate tax threshold which is pretty high these days.

your cousin handling the estate should be filing the necessary paperwork and generally speaking the estate itself pays any taxes owed before distributing stuff to heirs, so you likely wont owe anything personally, but definitely ask your cousin to clarify what the tax situation looks like or have them consult an estate attorney becuase you dont want any suprises down the road. i learned the hard way years ago when my uncle died that communication early saves headaches later.

Inheritance tax is actually pretty state-specific and honestly kind of confusing - most states don't have an inheritance tax at all, but a few do (like Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, and a couple others), and it matters whether you're inheriting from a direct relative like a grandmother.

The federal estate tax is usually only a concern if the total estate is really huge, so odds are you won't owe anything federal-wise. Your cousin handling the estate should know what applies in your state and can tell you for sure, but generally the estate itself handles any taxes owed before distributing what's left to heirs, so you'd just get whatever remains after those are paid out.

Your main responsibility is basically nothing - your cousin who's handling the estate should sort out any taxes owed before distributing money to you. That's what the executor does.

The thing is, whether you even owe anything comes down to your state. Most don't have inheritance tax at all, so you're probably fine. The few that do (Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware) usually only hit you if the amount crosses a certain threshold or if you're not a close relative - and even then, spouses and kids often get exemptions. If your grandmother's house and savings add up to a decent amount, your cousin needs to file a return in whichever state applies, and that will determine what gets paid from the estate before you inherit. You shouldn't be writing a check out of pocket unless something went seriously wrong with how the estate was managed.

The executor (your cousin) is responsible for settling any debts and taxes from the estate before you get your inheritance, so you shouldn't owe anything personally - but here's what people sometimes miss: if the house or savings generate income *after* she passes but *before* distribution (like rental income or interest), that's taxable income to the estate itself, not to you. Make sure your cousin is keeping track of that stuff properly, because a sloppy executor can create headaches down the line. Ask them directly about the timeline and what taxes have already been paid so you're not blindsided later.