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The amount of Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax due will depend on the beneficiary’s relation to the deceased. For example, the tax rate for siblings is 12% while the tax rate for someone who was only a close friend is 15%.

Your IRA is subject to the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax, which can prove to be a tax trap.

For example, if you leave $100,000 from your IRA to a friend, that gift is subject to the 15% Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax rate. To avoid interest and penalties on the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax, within 9 months of your death your friend must pay the Commonwealth $15,000. If your friend does not have $15,000 of liquid assets, she may have to remove the $15,000 from the IRA. If she does, this will trigger her to recognize $15,000 of income. If she does not have the liquid assets to pay the income taxes due on the $15,000, she may have to remove the money from the IRA, which triggers even more income taxes.

The Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax is levied on the net estate value at the date of death, meaning the fair market value of the estate’s assets less the expenses of the estate administration and existing debts.

The Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax is levied on the net estate value, meaning the fair market value of the estate’s assets less expenses and debts.

If repairing the house for sale is reasonable, and the expenses paid are reasonable, they will be deducted from the sale proceeds when calculating the net estate.

If you die without a will in Pennsylvania you are said to die “intestate”. If you die intestate, your probate assets are divided up under the Pennsylvania Intestate Rules. These rules can easily be avoided by writing a will, but if you do not have a will, the Intestacy Rules are in place to clearly state who inherits your probate property in order to avoid conflict.

If you die without a will in Pennsylvania you are said to die “intestate”. If you die intestate, your probate assets are divided up under the Pennsylvania Intestate Rules. These rules can easily be avoided by writing a will, but if you do not have a will, the Intestacy Rules are in place to clearly state who inherits your probate property in order to avoid conflict.

Question: As the Executor, if I sell my mother’s Chester County home, do I have to pay the Pennsylvania probate tax before dividing up the sale proceeds with my siblings?

First, let’s clarify a few things. In Pennsylvania the “probate tax” is the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax. Because the estate is being divided up between the mother’s children, that rate is 4.5% on the date of death value of her entire taxable estate. The house is included in that taxable estate.

Question: My son’s Godparents both died in Philadelphia with a will and a Revocable Living Trust and the executor will not give me a copy. How do I get a copy of the will and the Revocable Living Trust?

First, the father needs to understand the documents he is requesting. The Will is the document that is filed with the Philadelphia Register of Wills and which then dictates where the deceased’s assets pass after death.

Beneficiaries of Delaware County estates will often approach us asking our help in keeping an eye on the estate’s executor. This is often the result of the executor not sharing information about the estate with the beneficiary, the executor’s unreasonable delays, or when the executor’s behavior has raised the beneficiary’s concern.

When we are asked about what steps a beneficiary can take to keep an eye on the executor, I will outline various options, such as:

Beneficiaries of Bucks County estates will often approach us asking our help in keeping an eye on the estate’s executor. This is often the result of the executor not sharing information about the estate with the beneficiary, the executor’s unreasonable delays, or when the executor’s behavior has raised the beneficiary’s concern.

When we are asked about what steps a beneficiary can take to keep an eye on the executor, I will outline various options, such as: