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Title 26 — Internal Revenue Code

Chapter 76 — Judicial Proceedings

§ 7404. Authority to bring civil action for estate taxes

Statutory text

If the estate tax imposed by chapter 11 is not paid on or before the due date thereof, the Secretary shall proceed to collect the tax under the provisions of general law; or appropriate proceedings in the name of the United States may be commenced in any court of the United States having jurisdiction to subject the property of the decedent to be sold under the judgment or decree of the court. From the proceeds of such sale the amount of the tax, together with the costs and expenses of every description to be allowed by the court, shall be first paid, and the balance shall be deposited according to the order of the court, to be paid under its direction to the person entitled thereto. This section insofar as it applies to the collection of a deficiency shall be subject to the provisions of sections 6213 and 6601.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 874 · 68A Stat. 874

    Enacted · 26 U.S.C. § 7404

    Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 874

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 874

  2. Pub. L. 94–455 title XIX § 1906(b)(13)(A) · 90 Stat. 1520

    Struck · 26 U.S.C. § 7404

    Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (A) The Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended by this Act, is amended by striking out “Secretary or his delegate” each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof “Secretary”.

1 of 2 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1976—Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”.

Credits

1954–1976 · 2 acts
  1. 1954Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 874
  2. 1976Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, § 1906(b)(13)(A), , 90 Stat. 1834.
Show as published

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 874; Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, § 1906(b)(13)(A), , 90 Stat. 1834.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc26.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-09-16

USLM identifier /us/usc/t26/s7404