26 CFR § 301.6324-1 - Special liens for estate and gift taxes; personal liability of transferees and others.
(a) Estate tax.
(1) A lien for estate tax attaches at the date of the decedent's death to every part of the gross estate, whether or not the property comes into possession of the duly qualified executor or administrator. The lien attaches to the extent of the tax shown to be due by the return and of any deficiency in tax found to be due upon review and audit. If the estate tax is not paid when due, then the spouse, transferee, trustee (except the trustee of an employee's trust which meets the requirements of section 401(a)), surviving tenant, person in possession of the property by reason of the exercise, nonexercise, or release of a power of appointment, or beneficiary, who receives, or has on the date of the decedent's death, property included in the gross estate under sections 2034 to 2042, inclusive, shall be personally liable for the tax to the extent of the value, at the time of the decedent's death, of the property.
(2) Unless the tax is paid in full or becomes unenforceable by reason of lapse of time, and except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the lien upon the entire property constituting the gross estate continues for a period of 10 years after the decedent's death, except that the lien shall be divested with respect to—
(i) The portion of the gross estate used for the payment of charges against the estate and expenses of its administration allowed by any court having jurisdiction thereof;
(ii) Property included in the gross estate under sections 2034 to 2042, inclusive, which is transferred by (or transferred by the transferee of) the spouse, transferee, trustee, surviving tenant, person in possession of the property by reason of the exercise, nonexercise, or release of a power of appointment, or beneficiary to a purchaser or holder of a security interest. In such case a like lien attaches to all the property of the spouse, transferee, trustee, surviving tenant, person in possession, beneficiary, or transferee of any such person, except the part which is transferred to a purchaser or a holder of a security interest. See section 6323(h) (1) and (6) and the regulations thereunder, respectively, for the definitions of “security interest” and “purchaser”;
(iii) The portion of the gross estate (or any interest therein) which has been transferred to a purchaser or holder of a security interest if payment is made of the full amount of tax determined by the district director pursuant to a request of the fiduciary (executor, in the case of the estate of a decedent dying before January 1, 1971) for discharge from personal liability as authorized by section 2204 (relating to discharge of fiduciary from personal liability) but there is substituted a like lien upon the consideration received from the purchaser or holder of a security interest; and
(iv) Property as to which the district director has issued a certificate releasing a lien under section 6325(a) and the regulations thereunder.
(b) Lien for gift tax. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, a lien attaches upon all gifts made during the period for which the return was filed (see § 25.6019–1 of this chapter) for the amount of tax imposed upon the gifts made during such period. The lien extends for a period of 10 years from the time the gifts are made, unless the tax is sooner paid in full or becomes unenforceable by reason of lapse of time. If the tax is not paid when due, the donee of any gift becomes personally liable for the tax to the extent of the value of his gift. Any part of the property comprised in the gift transferred by the donee (or by a transferee of the donee) to a purchaser or holder of a security interest is divested of the lien, but a like lien, to the extent of the value of the gift, attaches to all the property (including after-acquired property) of the donee (or the transferee) except any part transferred to a purchaser or holder of a security interest. See section 6323(h) (1) and (6) and the regulations thereunder, respectively, for the definitions of “security interest” and “purchaser.”
(c) Exceptions.
(1) A lien described in either paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of this section is not valid against a mechanic's lienor (as defined in section 6323(h) (2) and the regulations thereunder) and, subject to the conditions set forth under section 6323(b) (relating to protection for certain interests even though notice filed), is not valid with respect to any lien or interest described in section 6323(b) and the regulations thereunder.
(2) If a lien described in either paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of this section is not valid against a lien or security interest (as defined in section 6323(h) (1) and the regulations thereunder), the priority of the lien or security interest extends to any item described in section 6323(e) (relating to priority of interest and expenses) to the extent that, under local law, the item has the same priority as the lien or security interest to which it relates.
(d) Application of lien imposed by section 6321. The general lien under section 6321 and the special lien under subsection (a) or (b) of section 6324 for the estate or gift tax are not exclusive of each other, but are cumulative. Each lien will arise when the conditions precedent to the creation of such lien are met and will continue in accordance with the provisions applicable to the particular lien. Thus, the special lien may exist without the general lien being in force, or the general lien may exist without the special lien being in force, or the general lien and the special lien may exist simultaneously, depending upon the facts and pertinent statutory provisions applicable to the respective liens.