Estate Tax for Foreigners with U.S. Situs Properties
Suppose a non-US individual has properties that are situated in the US at the time of their death. In that case, such properties should be included in their gross estate, and the transfer of such properties is taxable by the US government. Thus, for non-US individuals to plan for their future US estate tax, it is crucial to determine whether their US-related properties are considered US-situated properties.
Situs of Properties
According to the IRS, U.S.-situated properties include:
Real estate properties located in the U.S.
Tangible personal properties (excluding some art) and
Shares of stock issued by a U.S. corporation, regardless of whether the stock certificates are in the U.S. or not, are categorized as properties situated in the United States. (Conversely, stocks in a regulated investment company (as defined in section 851 of the Internal Revenue Code) are not deemed property within the United States.) Non-US-situs properties include “certain deposits and debt obligations described in Section 871(g)-(i), bank accounts deposited with a foreign branch of a domestic commercial banking business, and proceeds of life insurance on the life of a nonresident who is not a U.S. citizen.”
Tax Treatments And Filing Requirements
In the absence of a treaty, the estate of a non-US alien individual is allowed a unified credit of $13,000, which means that such an estate can transfer $60,000 worth of US-located property without tax. The exempted amount for a non-U.S. person’s estate is significantly lower than that for a U.S. person’s estate. However, suppose an estate tax treaty is available. In that case, a foreign estate with U.S. assets may invoke such treaty provisions under certain circumstances to mitigate its U.S. estate tax liabilities. The United States currently has estate tax treaties with Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
When the U.S.-situated properties in a foreign estate exceed $60,000, the executor is required to file Form 706-NA within nine months of the date of the decedent’s death. When filing Form 706NA, the executor of the estate is recommended to attach the following documents:
A certified copy of the will, if there is one
A copy of the decedent’s death certificate
For stocks in a closely held corporation, the balance sheets and statements of the net earning or operating results and dividends paid for each of the five preceding years.
U.S. gift tax return(s) filed by the decedent if any
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