Limitation on credit if a deduction for State death taxes is allowed under section 2053(d).

Official textecfr.govlast amended Jul 27, 2026

If a deduction is allowed under section 2053(d) for State death taxes paid with respect to a charitable gift, the credit for State death taxes is subject to special limitations. Under these limitations, the credit cannot exceed the least of the following:

# (a)

The amount of State death taxes paid other than those for which a deduction is allowed under section 2053(d);

# (b)

The amount indicated in section 2011(b) to be the maximum credit allowable with respect to the decedent's taxable estate; or

# (c)

An amount, A, which bears the same ratio to B (the amount which would be the maximum credit allowable under section 2011(b) if the deduction under section 2053(d) for State death taxes were not allowed in computing the decedent's taxable estate) as C (the amount of State death taxes paid other than those for which a deduction is allowed under section 2053(d)) bears to D (the total amount of State death taxes paid). For the purpose of this computation, in determining what the decedent's taxable estate would be if the deduction for State death taxes under section 2053(d) were not allowed, adjustment must be made for the decrease in the deduction for charitable gifts under section 2055 or 2106(a)(2) (for estates of nonresidents not citizens) by reason of any increase in Federal estate tax which would be charged against the charitable gifts.

The application of this section may be illustrated by the following example:

Example.

The decedent died January 1, 1955, leaving a gross estate of $925,000. Expenses, indebtedness, etc., amounted to $25,000. The decedent bequeathed $400,000 to his son with the direction that the son bear the State death taxes on the bequest. The residuary estate was left to a charitable organization. Except as noted above, all Federal and State death taxes were payable out of the residuary estate. The State imposed death taxes of $60,000 on the son's bequest and death taxes of $75,000 on the bequest to charity. No death taxes were imposed by a foreign country with respect to any property in the gross estate. The decedent's taxable estate (determined without regard to the limitation imposed by section 2011(e)(2)(B) is computed as follows:

Gross estate				$925,000.00
Expenses, indebtedness, etc.			$25,000.00
Exemption			60,000.00
Deduction under section 2053(d)			75,000.00
Charitable deduction:
Gross estate		$925,000.00
Expenses, etc	$25,000.00
Bequest to son	400,000.00
State death tax paid from residue	75,000.00
Federal estate tax paid from residue	122,916.67	622,916.67	302,083.33	462,083.33
Taxable estate				462,916.67

If the deduction under section 2053(d) were not allowed, the decedent's taxable estate would be computed as follows:

Gross estate				$925,000.00
Expenses, indebtedness, etc.			$25,000.00
Exemption			60,000.00
Charitable deduction:
Gross estate		$925,000.00
Expenses, etc	$25,000.00
Bequest to son	400,000.00
State death tax paid from residue	75,000.00
Federal estate tax paid from residue	155,000.00	655,000.00	270,000.00	355,000.00
Taxable estate				570,000.00

On a taxable estate of $570,000, the maximum credit allowable under section 2011(b) would be $15,200. Under these facts, the credit for State death taxes is determined as follows:

(1) Amount of State death taxes paid other than those for which a deduction is allowed under section 2053(d) ($135,000−$75,000)	$60,000.00
(2) Amount indicated in section 2011(b) to be the maximum credit allowable with respect to the decedent's taxable estate of $462,916.67	10,916.67
(3) Amount determined by use of the ratio described in paragraph (c) above [($60,000 ÷ $135,000) × $15,200]	6,755.56
(4) Credit for State death taxes (least of subparagraphs (1) through (3) above)	6,755.56

[T.D. 6296, 23 FR 4529, June 24, 1958, as amended by T.D. 6600, 27 FR 4983, May 29, 1962]

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