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(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.)
___Notwithstanding the provisions of any State tax law to the contrary, whenever a report or payment of all or any portion of a State tax is required by law to be received by the department or other agency of the Commonwealth on or before a day certain, the taxpayer shall be deemed to have complied with the law if the letter transmitting the report or payment of the tax which has been received by the department is postmarked by the United States Postal Service on or prior to the final day on which the payment is to be received. For the purposes of this article, presentation of a receipt indicating that the report or payment was mailed by registered or certified mail on or before the due date shall be evidence of timely filing and payment.
___The taxes imposed by this article, together with any interest on the taxes, shall be a lien upon the real property included in the transfer on which the taxes are imposed. Except as otherwise provided in this part, the lien shall remain until the taxes and interest are paid in full.
___In the case of a transfer of any estate, income or interest for a term of years, for life or for other limited period, or constituting a future interest, the taxes imposed by this article, together with any interest on the tax, shall remain a lien until paid upon the entire real property by which the estate, income or interest is supported, or of which it is a part, and the lien shall be limited to the real property so transferred.
___Unless suit for collection of the taxes imposed by this article is instituted within twenty years after any tax becomes delinquent, the lien shall cease as to any purchaser, mortgagee or lessee of a devisee or heir of, or a beneficiary under a deed of trust of, the real property subject to the lien. Any time within the twenty-year period, if any tax on the real property is not paid, the department shall have power to file a certificate, under its seal, certifying to nonpayment which, when filed in the office of the clerk of the county where the real property is situated, shall continue the lien against decedent's real property for an additional period of five years from the date of the filing and the lien shall be indexed in the office of the clerk. If the taxes on the real property are not paid within the additional period of five years, the department shall have power to extend the lien for additional periods of five years by filing a certificate in the manner provided in this section.
___If real property subject to the lien of taxes imposed by this article is sold or exchanged by a fiduciary who is subject to the jurisdiction of the court and who has given bond as required by 20 Pa.C.S. (relating to decedents, estates and fiduciaries), or is a corporate fiduciary which need not file bond under 20 Pa.C.S., the lien on the property sold shall cease.
___If real property subject to the lien of taxes imposed by this article is sold or exchanged or otherwise disposed of by an heir, devisee or fiduciary, and if the inheritance tax, together with interest, is paid on all property reported in the tax return, including the property sold, which property has been appraised and tax assessed, the lien of any unpaid tax imposed by this article shall cease as to the property sold.
___When real property or any income or interest in the real property or income has been transferred within the meaning of subsection (c) of section 2107 and the transferee has sold, mortgaged or leased the property or any income or interest in the property, the interest of a bona fide purchaser, mortgagee or lessee in the property shall not be subject to any lien for the taxes imposed by this article.
___If real property subject to the lien is mortgaged or leased by a fiduciary who is subject to the jurisdiction of the court and who has given a bond as required by 20 Pa.C.S. (relating to decedents, estates and fiduciaries), or is a corporate fiduciary which need not file bond under 20 Pa.C.S., the lien shall become subject and subordinate to the rights and interests of the mortgagee, lessee or other person so secured.
___Upon approval of a bond for the payment of taxes imposed upon a transfer, the lien upon the real property shall cease. The amount of the bond shall not exceed the value of the real property transferred.
___(a) In case of a transfer, other than by will or intestacy, the department, upon satisfactory proof that no taxes are due which would be a lien on the real property transferred by reason of the death of the transferor, may release all or any portion of the property from any lien imposed by this article to which the property otherwise might be subject.
___(b) The department may, at any time, release all or any portion of the real property subject to any lien imposed by this article from such lien or subordinate such lien to other liens and encumbrances if it determines that the taxes are sufficiently secured by a lien on other property of the decedent or that the release or subordination of the lien will not endanger or jeopardize the collection of the taxes.
___(c) When inheritance tax in respect to the transfer of particular real property is paid on the value of the property without diminution for any deductions authorized by this article, other than a mortgage on the property existing at the date of the decedent's death, the department, upon request of a party in interest, shall issue a certificate evidencing the release of the property from the lien of tax.
___(d) A certificate by the department to the effect that any real property or interest in real property subject to any lien imposed by this article has been released from the lien, or that the lien has been subordinated to other liens and encumbrances, shall be conclusive evidence as to any bona fide purchaser, encumbrancer or lessee that the lien has been released or subordinated.
___(a) The court, at the request of the register, department or Office of Attorney General, shall issue a citation, directed to those liable for the payment of the taxes or subject to any other duty imposed by this article, commanding the person or persons to appear and show cause why the requirements of this article should not be met.
___(b) The court may issue any decree warranted by the facts, according to equity.
___(c) A citation to enforce payment of taxes due under this article or compliance with the duties required by this article shall be issued by the court upon application of the register, department or Office of Attorney General whenever any of the following occurs:
______(1) A tax return is not filed within the time required by this article.
______(2) Any tax due under this article remains delinquent.
______(3) A Federal estate tax return has been filed but a copy of the return or a communication making a final change on the return has not been filed as required by section 2145.
______(4) Any other duty imposed by this article remains unperformed.
___(d) The register or department may issue subpoenas to compel the production of documents and the attendance of witnesses necessary for the administration of this article.
___(e) Execution may be issued by the court against any real property in the decedent's estate on which a lien for the payment of the taxes imposed by this article exists or against any property belonging to a transferee liable for the tax.
___(f) The department may bring suits in the courts of other states to collect death taxes (including interest and penalties on the taxes) imposed by this article. An official of another state which extends a like comity to the Commonwealth may sue for the collection of death taxes (including interest and penalties on the taxes) in the courts of this Commonwealth. A certificate by the Secretary of State of another state, under the seal of that state, that an official has authority to collect its death taxes shall be conclusive evidence of the authority of the official in any suit for the collection of the taxes in any court of this Commonwealth.
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