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

Liability insurance coverage, primarily for shipyards for ocean marine risks, provided in much the same manner as umbrella liability insurance for nonmarine risks. Coverages may be provided ...

Type of excess of loss reinsurance in which the insurance company (cedent) is reinsured in the event there is a casualty loss resulting in at least two insureds generating losses from the ...

Condition in which an applicant has met an insurance company's standards. Requirements include a loss that is definable; fortuitous; one of a large number of homogeneous exposures; and ...

Premium payment made by the policy owner under a universal life insurance policy, usually on an automatic monthly preauthorized bank draft basis. The amount of the payment is established ...

Assets that are not readily convertible into cash 'without a significant loss of principle, such as an automobile, a house, television set, a radio, etc. ...

Written form which has precisely the same terms as the other property insurance policies covering a particular property. ...

Limited special purposes policy that provides liability and physical damage insurance for owners and operators of trucks while engaged in business. This insurance is often purchased by a ...

High severity loss that does not lend itself to accurate prediction and thus should be transferred by the individual or business to an insurance company. ...

Coverage in health insurance by two or more policies for the same insured loss. In such a circumstance, each policy pays its proportionate share of the loss, or one policy becomes primary ...

Popular Insurance Questions