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Title 26 — Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73not60

§2204 Discharge of Fiduciary From Personal Liability

Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle B— Estate and Gift Taxes › Chapter 11— ESTATE TAX › Subchapter C— Miscellaneous › § 2204

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

An executor can ask the Secretary in writing to decide how much estate tax is owed and to be freed from personal responsibility. The Secretary must tell the executor the tax amount as soon as possible and no later than 9 months after the request (or, if the request came before the return was filed, within 9 months after the return is filed), but not after the time allowed for assessment under section 6501. If the executor pays the amount told to them (except amounts with delayed payment under sections 6161, 6163, or 6166) and gives any bond needed for delayed payments, the executor is released from personal liability for later-found deficiencies and gets a written receipt. Other fiduciaries (people managing estate assets who are not the executor) can make the same written request. The Secretary will notify them of the tax they must pay, or that they owe nothing, after the executor is released or after 6 months from their request, if that is later. Their request must include the document giving them authority, a description of the property, and any other information the Secretary requires. Paying the determined amount (or providing required bond), or getting notice of no liability, releases them from later personal liability and entitles them to a receipt. An agreement under section 6324A counts as the bond for a section 6166 extension. If an executor reasonably relied on gift tax returns under section 6103(e)(3), the executor is not personally liable for tax shortfalls that come from adjusted taxable gifts made more than 3 years before the decedent’s death that were not shown on those returns.

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §2204

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)If the executor makes written application to the Secretary for determination of the amount of the tax and discharge from personal liability therefor, the Secretary (as soon as possible, and in any event within 9 months after the making of such application, or, if the application is made before the return is filed, then within 9 months after the return is filed, but not after the expiration of the period prescribed for the assessment of the tax in section 6501) shall notify the executor of the amount of the tax. The executor, on payment of the amount of which he is notified (other than any amount the time for payment of which is extended under section 6161, 6163, or 6166), and on furnishing any bond which may be required for any amount for which the time for payment is extended, shall be discharged from personal liability for any deficiency in tax thereafter found to be due and shall be entitled to a receipt or writing showing such discharge.
(b)If a fiduciary (not including a fiduciary in respect of the estate of a nonresident decedent) other than the executor makes written application to the Secretary for determination of the amount of any estate tax for which the fiduciary may be personally liable, and for discharge from personal liability therefor, the Secretary upon the discharge of the executor from personal liability under subsection (a), or upon the expiration of 6 months after the making of such application by the fiduciary, if later, shall notify the fiduciary (1) of the amount of such tax for which it has been determined the fiduciary is liable, or (2) that it has been determined that the fiduciary is not liable for any such tax. Such application shall be accompanied by a copy of the instrument, if any, under which such fiduciary is acting, a description of the property held by the fiduciary, and such other information for purposes of carrying out the provisions of this section as the Secretary may require by regulations. On payment of the amount of such tax for which it has been determined the fiduciary is liable (other than any amount the time for payment of which has been extended under section 6161, 6163, or 6166), and on furnishing any bond which may be required for any amount for which the time for payment has been extended, or on receipt by him of notification of a determination that he is not liable for any such tax, the fiduciary shall be discharged from personal liability for any deficiency in such tax thereafter found to be due and shall be entitled to a receipt or writing evidencing such discharge.
(c)For purposes of the second sentence of subsection (a) and the last sentence of subsection (b), an agreement which meets the requirements of section 6324A (relating to special lien for estate tax deferred under section 6166) shall be treated as the furnishing of bond with respect to the amount for which the time for payment has been extended under section 6166.
(d)If the executor in good faith relies on gift tax returns furnished under section 6103(e)(3) for determining the decedent’s adjusted taxable gifts, the executor shall be discharged from personal liability with respect to any deficiency of the tax imposed by this chapter which is attributable to adjusted taxable gifts which—
(1)are made more than 3 years before the date of the decedent’s death, and
(2)are not shown on such returns.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1981—Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 97–34, § 422(e)(1), (3), struck out reference to section 6166A in subsecs. (a) and (b), and two such references in subsec. (c). 1978—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–600 added subsec. (d). 1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–455, §§ 1906(b)(13)(A), 2004(f)(6), substituted “6166 or 6166A” for “or 6166” after “6161, 6163” and struck out “or his delegate” in two places after “Secretary”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–455, §§ 1902(a)(9), 1906(b)(13)(A), 2004(f)(4), (6), substituted “6166 or 6166A” for “or 6166” after “6161, 6163”, “has been” for “has not been” after “payment of which”, and struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–455, § 2004(d)(2), added subsec. (c). 1970—Pub. L. 91–614, § 101(d)(1)(A), substituted “fiduciary” for “executor” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 91–614, §§ 101(d)(1)(B), (C), (f), designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted “General Rule—” immediately preceding first sentence and permitted a discharge of the executor even where an extension of time has been granted under section 6161, 6163, or 6166 of this title, where a bond, if required, is provided to assure payment of taxes for which the extension was granted, and substituted “9 months” for “1 year” in two places. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91–614, § 101(d)(1)(D), added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–34 applicable to estates of decedents dying after Dec. 31, 1981, see section 422(f)(1) of Pub. L. 97–34, set out as a note under section 6166 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1978 Amendment Pub. L. 95–600, title VII, § 702(p)(2), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2937, provided that: “The amendment made by paragraph (1) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to the estates of decedents dying after December 31, 1976.”

Effective Date

of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by section 1902(a)(9) of Pub. L. 94–455 applicable in the case of estates of decedents dying after Dec. 31, 1970, see section 1902(c)(1) of Pub. L. 94–455, set out as a note under section 2012 of this title. Amendment by section 2004(d)(4) of Pub. L. 94–455 applicable to estates of decedents dying after Dec. 31, 1976, see section 2004(g) of Pub. L. 94–455, set out as a note under section 6166 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by section 101(d)(1) of Pub. L. 91–614 applicable with respect to decedents dying after Dec. 31, 1970, see section 101(j) of Pub. L. 91–614, set out as a note under section 2032 of this title. Pub. L. 91–614, title I, § 101(f), Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1838, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective with respect to the estates of decedents dying after Dec. 31, 1973.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 2204

Title 26 — Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60