inheritance tax laws?

Question

I recently have received information about an possible inheritance from the country of Nigeria. My question is there an international inheritance tax? Also, what is the US position on receiving inheritance payments from another country?

Answer 1

I would be careful of this, unless you know somebody from Nigeria this could be a way to get your personal info from you. I saw this on the news.

Answer 2

The Nigerian inheritance thing is an internet scam. If you do not know of a family memeber there, you do not have a family memeber there. There are no international laws on inheritance, but there are local regulations wherever the inheritance is claimed. The next that you will hear from your benefactor in Nigeria is that $500 or so U.S. dollars is needed to stake your claim on the cash that will "otherwise go to the Nigerian Treasury". The payment that you send will never be returned and you will have no legal means of recovering it or of catching the scammer.

Answer 3

The odds that you are actually inheriting anything from anyone in Nigeria are exactly ZERO! This is a common SCAM. They'll demand money up front for Nigerian inheritance taxes and attorney's fees. You'll never see that money again nor will you ever see any inheritance.

BTW, the estate pays any inheritance taxes, probate costs, attorney's fees, etc. The distributions are tax free to the beneficiary. The beneficiary NEVER pays ANY of the costs!

Anyone who demands money from you to claim an inheritance or settle an estate is a SCAM ARTIST. Period!

Drop all contact with these SCAMMERS or you WILL regret it!

Answer 4

First off.....that inheritance from Nigeria, unless you know of a relative in Nigeria, is a scam. They will want you to pay "fees" to get the money out of the country, and you will neither see the inheritance, nor your money, ever again.

Secondly, inheritances in the US are taxed on the estate, not on the recipient of the inheritance.