Federal Transfer Certificate

Are you dealing with an estate that includes shares and other assets in the USA? If the value of the US estate at the date of death exceeded $60,000 USD, you will need to obtain a Federal Transfer Certificate from the Internal Revenue Services in the USA. Known as Form 5173, obtaining this document involves submission of numerous papers, including Form 706-NA and tax paperwork, to the IRS. It’s necessary to demonstrate the applicability of the relevant double taxation treaty, and it can be a lengthy and frustrating process for the uninitiated, with official guidance often opaque and confusing.

It takes about a year to get this Certificate, so to prevent delays in winding up the administration of the estate, it’s advisable to start discussing this as soon as you have your UK Probate document or Confirmation, or even before.

Finders has years of experience at preparing Federal Transfer Certificate applications for estates, and overseeing the process to completion, on a standalone basis or incorporated the work of selling the estate’s US shares or closing the bank or investment account. Contact us to discuss your requirements – we can help with form 5173 submission and other parts of the process.