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The Inheritance and Estate Tax Act

(Article XXI of the Tax Reform Code of 1971, Act of March 4, 1971, P.L. 6, No. 2, added by Act of Aug. 4, 1991, P.L. 97, No. 22, as amended.)

PART XI
DISPUTED TAX

Section 2186. Protest, Notice and Appeal.
___(a) Any party in interest, including the Commonwealth and the personal representative, not satisfied with the appraisement, the allowance or disallowance of deductions, the assessment of tax, or supplements or any other matter relating to any tax imposed by this article, within sixty days after receipt of notice of the action complained of may:

______(1) file with the department a written protest, sending a copy thereof to the Office of Attorney General;

______(2) notify the register in writing that he elects to have the correctness of the action complained of determined at the audit of the account of the personal representative; or

______(3) appeal to the court to have the correctness of the action complained of determined at the audit of the account of the personal representative, or at a time the court shall fix. The protest, notification or appeal shall specify all the objections to the action complained of. When the protest, notification or appeal is filed by the Commonwealth, a copy shall also be sent to the personal representative and to all other persons who filed a tax return.

___(b) If a notification or appeal has been filed from an assessment of tax where it is contended that the rate of tax which will be applicable when a future interest vests in possession and enjoyment cannot presently be established with certainty and no compromise has been entered into pursuant to subsection (e) of section 2116, the court, after consideration of relevant actuarial factors, valuations and other pertinent circumstances, shall determine what portion of the transfer is to become taxed at each of the rates which might be applicable.

___(c) Whenever any appeal or protest is brought pursuant to this part and the subject matter of the appeal concerns the valuation of certain farmland as set forth in section 2122, the forum designated by the department to hear the appeal or protest shall include at least two farmers and the Secretary of Agriculture. The farmers and the Secretary of Agriculture shall be accorded full powers within the forum with full voting rights.

Section 2187. Bond.
___No bond shall be required of any party in interest who files a protest or notification against, or appeals from, an appraisement, allowance or disallowance of a deduction, assessment of tax or supplements or other matter relating to the tax or from the decision of the department following a protest or who petitions for removal of the record to the court.
Section 2188. Appeal and Removal from Department.
___(a) Any party in interest, including the Commonwealth and the personal representative, not satisfied with the decision of the department upon a protest may appeal from the department to the court within sixty days after receipt of notice of the entry of the decision of the department. When no decision has been rendered by the department within thirty days after the protest has been filed with the department, the court upon petition of any party in interest may direct the department to transmit the entire record to the court. When an appeal is taken from the decision of the department or the court directs the department to transmit the entire record to the court, the court shall either proceed to a determination of the issues protested to the department or suspend the determination until the audit of the account of the personal representative.

___(b) If the appeal or removal arises from an assessment of tax where it is contended that the rate of tax which will be applicable when a future interest vests in possession and enjoyment cannot presently be established with certainty, and no compromise has been entered into pursuant to subsection (e) of section 2116, the court after consideration of relevant actuarial factors, valuations and other pertinent circumstances shall determine what portion of the transfer is to become taxed at each of the rates which might be applicable.

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