On 29 March 2019, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) released Revenue Regulations No. 6-2019 or the implementing rules to avail of the estate amnesty under Republic Act (RA) No. 11213. The said regulations provides “taxpayers a one-time opportunity to settle estate tax obligations through the program that will give reasonable tax relief to estate with outstanding estate tax liabilities.”

RA 11213 provided for the collection of only 6% of each deceased’s total net taxable estate at the time of death, without any penalties, for those who died on or before Dec. 31, 2017, which liabilities remained unpaid. This is below the regular graduated estate tax rates that could go as high as 20% prior to the passage of RA 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion, more popularly known as the TRAIN law.

Taxpayers are given two years from the effectivity of the regulation on June 15, 2019 to file the Estate Tax Amnesty Return (ETAR), or BIR Form No. 2118-EA in triplicate copies at the Revenue District Office (RDO) having jurisdiction over the last residence of the deceased. If the deceased has no legal residence in the country, the return shall be submitted at RDO 39 (South Quezon City).