Definition of "Federal estate tax"

Mike Williams real estate agent

Written by

Mike Williamselite badge icon

Keller Williams

Federal tax imposed on the estate of a decedent according to the value of that estate. The first step in the computation of the federal estate tax owed is to determine the value of the decedent's gross estate. This determination can be made by adding the following values of assets owned by the decedent at the time of death:

  1. property owned outright.
  2. gratuitous lifetime transfers, but with the stipulation that the decedent retained the income or control over the income.
  3. gratuitous lifetime transfers subject to the recipient's surviving the decedent.
  4. gratuitous lifetime transfers subject to the decedent's retaining the right to revoke, amend, or alter the gift.
  5. annuities purchased by the decedent that are payable for the life time of the named survivor as well as the annuitant.
  6. property jointly held in such a manner that another party receives the decedent's interest in that property at the decedent's death because of that party's survivor ship.
  7. life insurance in which the decedent retained incidents of ownership.
  8. life insurance that was payable to the decedent's estate.
The second step in the computation of the federal estate tax owed is to subtract allowable deductions (including bequests to charities, bequests to the surviving spouse, funeral expenses, and other administration expenses) from the gross estate. This results in the taxable estate. Adjustable taxable gifts are then added to the taxable estate, resulting in the computational tax base. From the table below, the appropriate tax rate is then applied to the computational tax base, resulting in the tentative (certain credits may still be subtracted) federal estate tax.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Contribution whose purpose is to increase funding of underfunded pension plans. It is part of the calculation that is made to arrive at the plan's minimum funding requirement. Usually a ...

Organization that develops and publishes educational material and administers national examinations in supervisory management, general insurance, claims, management, risk management, ...

Trust in which rights to make any changes therein are surrendered permanently by the grantor. The grantor uses this type of trust to transfer assets and any potential depreciation out of ...

coverage issued to a creditor on the life of a debtor so that if the debtor becomes disabled, the insurance policy pays the balance of the debt to the creditor. ...

Coverage against loss as the result of a burglary. Found as part of the commercial package policy that has generally replaced the special multiperil insurance (smp) policy and the ...

1968 federal legislation that makes it mandatory for lenders to disclose to credit applicants the annual interest percentage rate (APR) and any finance charge. ...

basic feature of the social security act under which benefits paid are associated with the employee's earnings that have been taxed during the employment period. ...

Charitable planning strategy in which a donor sells an asset to the charity for an amount less than its fair market value. Internal Revenue Service regulations require that the tax basis ...

Payment by an insurance company to a damaged or destroyed business to hasten its return to normal business operations. For example, if a kitchen of a restaurant is damaged by fire, the ...

Popular Insurance Questions