SEE-1 - Specialised Returns for Individuals (14% of the exam) - Section 6.1

Determine the gross estate, applicable exclusion amount, portability of a deceased spouse's unused exclusion, and compute the federal estate tax on Form 706.

Determine the gross estate from the fair market value of property the decedent held at death, then subtract marital, charitable, and administrative deductions to reach the taxable estate on Form 706. Apply the applicable exclusion amount and portability, which lets a surviving spouse elect to use a deceased spouse unused exclusion amount.

Form 706Gross estateApplicable exclusion amountPortability

Practice question for this objective

Free sampleSpecialised Returns for Individualshard

Augustus Pemberton, a US citizen, died in 2024 with a gross estate of 25,000,000 dollars. His estate has 1,000,000 dollars of deductible debts and administration expenses, makes a 2,000,000 dollar outright bequest to a qualifying public charity, and passes 4,000,000 dollars outright to his surviving wife, a US citizen. He made no prior taxable gifts. His applicable exclusion amount for 2024 is 13,610,000 dollars, and the federal estate tax rate on amounts above the exclusion is a flat 40 percent at this level of estate. What is the federal estate tax due on Form 706?

A1,756,000 dollars Correct
B2,556,000 dollars
C7,200,000 dollars
D3,356,000 dollars

Compute federal estate tax by reaching the taxable estate after all deductions, then applying the 40 percent rate only to the amount exceeding the applicable exclusion amount. The taxable estate is the 25,000,000 gross estate reduced by the 1,000,000 of debts and expenses, the 2,000,000 charitable deduction, and the 4,000,000 marital deduction, giving 18,000,000; estate tax applies at 40 percent only to the 4,390,000 by which that figure exceeds the 13,610,000 applicable exclusion amount.

Why A is correct: After the debts, charitable, and marital deductions the taxable estate is 18,000,000, which exceeds the 13,610,000 exclusion by 4,390,000, taxed at 40 percent.

Why B is wrong: This omits the 2,000,000 dollar charitable deduction, leaving a taxable estate of 20,000,000 and tax of 40 percent of the 6,390,000 excess over the exclusion.

Why C is wrong: This applies the 40 percent rate to the entire 18,000,000 taxable estate, but the tax falls only on the amount that exceeds the applicable exclusion amount.

Why D is wrong: This omits the 4,000,000 dollar marital deduction, leaving a taxable estate of 22,000,000 and tax of 40 percent of the 8,390,000 excess over the exclusion.

See more SEE-1 practice questions, answers explained.

Exam traps in Specialised Returns for Individuals

Answers that look right on this material and are not. Each one is a distractor from a different question in the SEE-1 bank for this domain.

13,610,000 dollars
Why it is wrong: This counts only Eleanor's own applicable exclusion and ignores the portability election entirely, but a timely election on Form 706 lets her add Walter's deceased spousal unused exclusion to her own amount.
6,244,000 dollars
Why it is wrong: This applies the 40 percent rate to the entire 15,610,000 dollar taxable estate and ignores the applicable exclusion altogether, but only the portion exceeding the 13,610,000 dollar exclusion is subject to tax.
Margaret simply claims the unused exclusion on her own next Form 709 or Form 706; no filing is required for Gerald's estate.
Why it is wrong: This is tempting because the unused exclusion ultimately benefits Margaret's returns, but she cannot claim it unilaterally. The deceased spousal unused exclusion exists only if the executor first elected portability on Gerald's Form 706; without that election there is nothing for Margaret to claim.

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