Section 35 Estate Tax Clarifications

Section 2A of chapter 65C of the General Laws, as most recently amended by section 13 of chapter 206 of the acts of 2024, is hereby further amended by striking out subsections (a) and (b) and inserting in place thereof the following 2 subsections:-
(a) A tax is hereby imposed upon the transfer of the estate of each person dying on or after January 1, 1997 who, at the time of death, was a resident of the commonwealth. The amount of the tax shall be equal to the credit for state death taxes that would have been allowable to a decedent's estate as computed under section 2011 of the Code, as in effect on December 31, 2000, hereinafter referred to as the "credit". The credit shall be determined based on the value of the federal gross estate after such estate is increased by the value of any property: (i) not included in the federal gross estate; (ii) in which the decedent had at death a qualifying income interest for life described in subsection (c) of section 3A; (iii) for which a deduction was allowed for Massachusetts estate tax purposes with respect to the transfer of such property to the decedent; and (iv) which is not real or tangible personal property located outside of the commonwealth at the time of death. If the federal gross estate of a person includes real or tangible personal property located outside of the commonwealth at the time of death, the credit shall be determined based on the value of the federal gross estate after such estate is reduced by the value of such real or tangible personal property located outside of the commonwealth and increased by the value of any property: (i) not included in the federal gross estate; (ii) in which the decedent had at death a qualifying income interest for life described in subsection (c) of section 3A; (iii) for which a deduction was allowed for Massachusetts estate tax purposes with respect to the transfer of such property to the decedent; and (iv) that is not real or tangible personal property located outside of the commonwealth at the time of death; provided, however, that for the purposes of calculating the federal taxable estate, no deduction shall be allowed that is attributable to such real or tangible personal property located outside of the commonwealth.
(b) A tax is hereby imposed upon the transfer of real property situated in this commonwealth and upon tangible personal property having an actual situs in this commonwealth of every person who at the time of their death was not a resident of this commonwealth. The amount of this tax is the amount of the credit calculated based upon a federal gross estate that is equal to the sum of: (i) the value of the estate's real or tangible personal property located in the commonwealth; and (ii) the value of any real or tangible property: (A) not included in the federal gross estate; (B) in which the decedent had at death a qualifying income interest for life described in subsection (c) of section 3A; (C) for which a deduction was allowed for Massachusetts estate tax purposes with respect to the transfer of such property to the decedent; and (D) which is not located outside of the commonwealth at the time of death. Under this subsection, for the purposes of calculating the federal taxable estate, no deduction shall be allowed that is attributable to property other than such real or tangible personal property located in the commonwealth.