Estate Tax Deductions and Credits -- The Effect of Events Occurring Subsequent to Death

Much attention has been given to items includible in a decedent's gross estate for federal estate tax purposes. Equally important, however, are deductions and credits -- items that reduce the gross amount taxable. The amount or even the availability of a deduction may depend upon events occurring subsequent to the decedent's death. Some deductions, such as the administrative expenses discussed in the first section of this article, by their very nature are dependent upon such events. Other deductions, however, are not so dependent and are also explored in this article