Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Nov 17, 2011
Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish new estate tax rates of between 37% (for estates with a value in excess of $500,000) and 55% (for estates with a value in excess of $10 million), (2) allow a $1 million estate tax exclusion, and (3) provide for an inflation adjustment to such amounts for decedents dying after 2012. Repeals the termination date applicable to the estate and gift tax provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (i.e., December 31, 2012).
Restores the estate tax credit for any estate, inheritance, legacy, or succession taxes paid to a state (expired after 2004). Repeals the deduction currently allowed for such taxes.
Sets forth estate valuation rules for certain transfers of nonbusiness assets and limits estate tax discounts for certain individuals with minority interests in a business acquired from a decedent.
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Requires that the value of the basis in any property acquired from a decedent or by gift be consistent with the basis as determined for estate and gift tax purposes. Requires executors of estates and donors of gifts required to file a gift tax return to disclose to the Secretary of the Treasury, and to recipients of any interest in an estate or a gift, information identifying the value of each interest received.
Expands rules for valuing assets in grantor retained annuity trusts to require that: (1) the right to receive fixed amounts from an annuity last for a term of not less than 10 years and that such fixed amounts not decrease during the first 10 years of the annuity term, and (2) the remainder interest have a value greater than zero when transferred.
Terminates the generation-skipping transfer exemption for certain long-term trusts (perpetual dynasty trusts) 90 years after the establishment of such trusts.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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