3www.revenue.pa.gov
$105.26 is the total of the payment and discount.
• If the correct amount or overpayment was made, multi-
ply the total tax due by 5 percent to calculate discount.
Example: total tax due is $200; $200x0.05 = $10 is the
discount amount.
IMPORTANT: All checks must be made payable to
“Register of Wills, Agent” and presented to the
Register of Wills of the county where the decedent resided.
The commonwealth places no limitation on tax liability until
a proper and complete return is made and the return is
assessed by the Department of Revenue.
NOTE: A prepayment of tax may be made at the
Register of Wills before the REV-1500 is filed. In writ-
ing, supply the Register with the decedent’s full name, date
of death and social security number along with the prepay-
ment.
INTEREST
Interest is charged beginning with the first day of delin-
quency, or nine months and one day from the date of death,
to the date of payment. The applicable interest rates (REV-
1611) can be found by visiting the department’s online serv-
ices at www.revenue.pa.gov.
An interest and penalty calculator is available at
www.doreservices.state.pa.us.
FAILURE TO PAY
The tax imposed, together with any interest thereon, con-
stitute a lien upon real property, which remains in effect
until the tax and interest are paid in full.
PETITION FOR CITATION
The law provides for the filing of a citation with the Court of
Common Pleas, Orphans’ Court Division, to compel the fil-
ing of the tax return or the payment of tax. It may be direct-
ed to the personal representative or transferee and may
commence nine months after the date of death. The cita-
tion process may result in an order directing filing and pay-
ment, a contempt citation, and ultimately, additional fines
and imprisonment for failure to comply with the require-
ments of the Inheritance and Estate Tax Act. See Section
2176 of the Act of August 4, 1991, P.L. 97, No. 22 (72 P.S.
§9176).
APPRAISEMENT, ALLOWANCE OR DISALLOWANCE
OF DEDUCTIONS AND ASSESSMENT OF TAX
After a return is filed, the Department of Revenue issues a
notice setting forth its valuation of the estate assets, allow-
able deductions and inheritance tax due.
Notice of potential tax liabilities based on jointly held
assets, trust assets, or non-probate property are identified
through the use of an eight digit number beginning with the
two digits representing the year in which the notice is orig-
inally issued. For example, all notices issued in 2020 will be
numbered 20000001, 20000002, etc. Further information
concerning the Transferee ID system may be obtained by
contacting the Inheritance Tax Division at 717-787-8327.
IMPORTANT: Depending on the complexity of the
return, an assessment may take three to six months
from the date it was filed with the Register of Wills.
REFUND
If tax is overpaid when the return is filed, a refund may be
requested by selecting the appropriate oval in the
Overpayment section on Page 3 of the REV-1500. If this
oval is checked, the estate is not required to submit a sep-
arate application for refund. The department will issue a
refund check approximately six weeks after the return pro-
cessing is completed. If the refund oval was not checked
when the tax return was filed, an “Application for Refund of
Pennsylvania Inheritance/Estate Tax” (REV-1313) must be
filed to request a refund of an existing tax credit reflected
on an official assessment notice. Refund applications
should be directed to:
PA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
BUREAU OF INDIVIDUAL TAXES
INHERITANCE TAX DIVISION-REF
PO BOX 280601
HARRISBURG PA 17128-0601
The application for refund period is three years. (See
Section 2181(d) of the 1991 Act, 72 P.S. § 9181(d)).
Should you believe that a refund is due as the result of an
issue which had not previously been raised, and where the
statutory appeal provisions of Section 2186(a) of the 1991
Act, as amended, have expired, a petition for refund may
be filed with the Board of Appeals provided that all tax,
penalty and interest assessed were paid in full. Visit
www.boardofappeals.state.pa.us for more information.
SUPPLEMENTAL RETURN
A personal representative or transferee who acquires
knowledge of additional assets, transfers or deductions at
any time after the original return has been filed must
promptly file a supplemental return. The supplemental
return should include only the additional assets, transfers
or deductions.
Do not repeat any assets or deductions reported on
an original return or prior supplemental return.
A supplemental return may not be used to adjust or correct
a previously filed return. If a correction is needed for an
asset that was reported on a return, see “Administrative
Corrections” below on how to request an administrative
correction. If there is an error contained in an assessed
return that must be resolved see “Administrative
Corrections” or “Protest, Notice or Appeal”. It is important to
note that it is not possible to file an amended inheritance
tax return. When the value of an asset or deduction has
been established by assessment notice from the depart-
ment, any discrepancy must be resolved either through the
refund process or through the appeal process.
ADMINISTRATIVE CORRECTIONS
Obvious factual errors discovered on the assessment may
be corrected administratively. Examples of correctable
errors include those made by the transposing of figures,
mathematical errors, miscalculations and obvious duplica-
tion of assets. The estate must report such errors to the
Department of Revenue by a letter which identifies the
alleged error and the proposed correction. Any documenta-
tion which supports the need for an adjustment to the
record must be submitted. Requests for administrative cor-
rection should be directed to:
PA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
BUREAU OF INDIVIDUAL TAXES
POST ASSESSMENT REVIEW UNIT
PO BOX 280601
HARRISBURG PA 17128-0601
REV-1500