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

Provision in some disability income policies that provides a monthly income benefit to a disabled insured for as long as he or she remains disabled according to the definition of disability ...

Offer and acceptance upon which an agreement is based. For a contract to be legal (and thus enforceable in a court of law), an offer must be made by one party to another party, who accepts ...

Technique of risk management (better known as retention or self insurance) under which an individual or business firm assumes expected losses that are not catastrophic losses through the ...

transfer of money from or an employer-sponsored pension or other qualified plan into an INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT (IRA) with out paying tax on the distribution. transfer of money from ...

Insurance policy that pays a face amount/ lump sum if the insured is diagnosed with a specified critical illness. This sum is paid directly to the insured regardless of any other sources of ...

Privately formed insurance company whose objective is to make a profit. ...

Legal authority granting individuals the right to conduct insurance business in a particular state. In many states, agents and brokers must pass a written exam as a prerequisite to being ...

Bodily or emotional injury resulting from physical or mental wound or shock. A traumatic injury is caused by something outside the person's body as opposed to a sickness or a disease. An ...

Now-defunct bureau founded by fire insurance underwriters in 1866 to work for fire prevention and loss control. The board helped standardize the fire insurance policy. In the mid-1960s, the ...

Popular Insurance Questions