Apportionment of Federal Estate Tax.
§ 28A-27-1. Definitions.
For the purposes of this Article:
(1) "Estate" means the gross estate of a decedent as determined for the purpose of the federal estate tax.
(2) "Fiduciary" includes a personal representative and a trustee.
(3) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, joint stock company, corporation, governmental agency, including any multiples or combinations of the foregoing as, for example, individuals as joint tenants.
(4) "Person interested in the estate" means any person, including a personal representative, guardian, or trustee, entitled to receive, or who has received, from a decedent while alive or by reason of the death of a decedent any property or interest therein included in the decedent's taxable estate.
(5) "State" means any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(6) "Tax" means the net Federal Estate Tax due, after application of any available unified transfer tax credit, and interest and penalties imposed in addition to the tax. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1.)
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, or in G.S. 28A-27-5, G.S. 28A-27-6, or G.S. 28A-27-8, the tax shall be apportioned among all persons interested in the estate in the proportion that the value of the interest of each person interested in the estate bears to the total value of the interests of all persons interested in the estate. The values as finally determined for federal estate tax purposes shall be used for the purposes of this computation.
(b) In the event the decedent's will provides a method of apportionment of the tax different from the method provided in subsection (a) above, the method described in the will shall control. However, in the case of any will executed on or after October 1, 1986, a general direction in the will that taxes shall not be apportioned, whether or not referring to this Article, but shall be paid from the residuary portion of the estate shall not, unless specifically stated otherwise, apply to taxes imposed on assets which are includible in the valuation of the decedent's gross estate for federal estate tax purposes only by reason of Sections 2041, 2042 or 2044 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or corresponding provisions of any subsequent tax law. In the case of an estate administered under any will executed on or after October 1, 1986, in the event that the estate tax computation involves assets described in the preceding sentence, unless specifically stated otherwise, apportionment shall be made against such assets and the tax so apportioned shall be recovered from the persons receiving such assets as provided in Sections 2206, 2207 or 2207A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or corresponding provisions of any subsequent tax law. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1; 1987, c. 694, s. 1.)
§ 28A-27-3. Procedure for determining apportionment.
(a) The personal representative of a decedent shall determine the apportionment of the tax.
(b) If the personal representative finds that it is inequitable to apportion interest and penalties in the manner provided in this Article because such interest or penalties were imposed due to the fault of one or more persons interested in the estate, the personal representative may direct apportionment thereon in the manner the personal representative finds equitable.
(c) The expenses reasonably incurred by the personal representative in connection with the apportionment of the tax shall be apportioned as provided for taxes under this Article. If the personal representative finds that it is inequitable to apportion the expenses because such expenses were incurred because of the fault of one or more persons interested in the estate, the personal representative may direct other more equitable apportionment. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1; 2011-344, s. 4.)
The personal representative shall not be under any duty to institute any suit or proceeding to recover from any person interested in the estate the amount of the tax apportioned to the person until the expiration of the six months next following final determination of the tax. A personal representative who institutes the suit or proceeding within a reasonable time after the six months' period shall not be subject to any liability or surcharge because any portion of the tax apportioned to any person interested in the estate was collectable at a time following the death of the decedent but thereafter became uncollectable. If the personal representative cannot collect from any person interested in the estate the amount of the tax apportioned to the person, the amount not recoverable shall be apportioned among the other persons interested in the estate who are subject to apportionment. The apportionment shall be made in the proportion that the value of the interest of each remaining person interested in the estate bears to the total value of the interests of all remaining persons interested in the estate. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1.)
§ 28A-27-5. Exemptions, deductions, and credits.
(a) Any interest for which a deduction or exemption is allowed under the federal revenue laws in determining the value of the decedent's net taxable estate, such as property passing to or in trust for a surviving spouse and gifts or devises for charitable, public, or similar purposes, shall not be included in the computation provided for in G.S. 28A-27-2 to the extent of the allowable deduction or exemption. When such an interest is subject to a prior present interest which is not allowable as a deduction or exemption, such present interest shall not be included in the computation provided for in this Article and no tax shall be apportioned to or paid from principal.
(b) Any credit for property previously taxed and any credit for gift taxes or death taxes of a foreign country paid by the decedent or the decedent's estate shall inure to the proportionate benefit of all persons liable to apportionment; provided, however, that if the tax which gives rise to such a credit has in fact been paid by a person interested in the estate, the benefit of such credit shall inure to that person paying the tax.
(c) Any credit for inheritance, succession, or estate taxes or taxes in the nature thereof in respect to property or interests includible in the estate shall inure to the benefit of the persons or interests chargeable with the payment thereof to the extent that, or in the proportion that, the credit reduces the tax.
(d) To the extent that property passing to or in trust for a surviving spouse or any charitable, public, or similar gift or devise does not constitute an allowed deduction for purposes of the tax solely by reason of an inheritance tax or other death tax imposed upon and deductible from the property, the property shall not be included in the computation provided for in this Article, and to that extent no apportionment shall be made against the property. This section does not apply in any instance where the result will be to deprive the estate of a deduction otherwise allowable under Section 2053(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 of the United States or corresponding provisions of any subsequent tax law, relating to deduction for State death taxes on transfers for public, charitable, or religious uses. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1; 1987, c. 694, ss. 2, 3; 2011-284, s. 21(a), (b); 2011-344, s. 4.)
§ 28A-27-6. No apportionment between temporary and remainder interests.
No interest in income and no estate for years or for life or other temporary interest in any property or fund is subject to apportionment as between the temporary interest and the remainder. The tax on the temporary interest and the tax, if any, on the remainder is chargeable against the corpus of the property or funds subject to the temporary interest and remainder. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1.)
§ 28A-27-7. Fiduciary's rights and duties.
(a) The personal representative may withhold from any property of the decedent in the personal representative's possession, distributable to any person interested in the estate, the amount of the tax apportioned to the person's interest. If the property in possession of the personal representative and distributable to any person interested in the estate tax is insufficient to satisfy the proportionate amount of the tax determined to be due from the person, the personal representative may recover the deficiency from the person interested in the estate. If the property is not in the possession of the personal representative, the personal representative may recover from any person interested in the estate the amount of the tax apportioned to the person in accordance with this Article.
(b) If property held by the fiduciary or other person is distributed prior to final apportionment of the tax, the personal representative may require the distributee to provide a bond or other security for the apportionment liability in the form and amount prescribed by the fiduciary, with the approval of the clerk of superior court having jurisdiction of the administration of the estate. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1; 2011-344, s. 4.)
§ 28A-27-8. Difference with Federal Estate Tax Law.
If the liabilities of persons interested in the estate as prescribed by this Article differ from those which result under the Federal Estate Tax Law, the liabilities imposed by the federal law will control and the balance of this Article shall apply as if the resulting liabilities had been prescribed herein. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1.)
The provisions of this Article shall not apply to taxes due on account of the death of decedents dying prior to October 1, 1986. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 878, s. 1.)