(a) Overview. This section provides definitions of terms applicable solely for purposes of section 2801 of the Code and the regulations in this part 28.

(b) U.S. citizen or resident. A U.S. citizen or resident is an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States for purposes of chapter 11 or 12 of subtitle B, as the case may be, at the time of receipt of the covered gift or covered bequest. Furthermore, references to a U.S. citizen also include a domestic trust, as well as an electing foreign trust. See § 28.2801-1(a).

(c) Domestic trust. The term domestic trust means a trust defined in section 7701(a)(30)(E) of the Code. References to a domestic trust include an electing foreign trust.

(d) Foreign trust—(1) In general. The term foreign trust means a trust defined in section 7701(a)(31)(B).

(2) Electing foreign trust. The term electing foreign trust means a foreign trust that has in effect a valid election to be treated as a domestic trust for purposes of section 2801. See § 28.2801-5(d).

(3) Non-electing foreign trust. The term non-electing foreign trust means any foreign trust other than an electing foreign trust described in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.

(e) U.S. recipient. The term U.S. recipient means a U.S. citizen or resident, a domestic trust, or an electing foreign trust that receives a covered gift or covered bequest, whether directly or indirectly, during the calendar year. The term U.S. recipient includes a U.S. citizen or resident receiving a distribution from a non-electing foreign trust if the distribution is attributable (in whole or in part) to one or more covered gifts or covered bequests received by the non-electing foreign trust. See § 28.2801-5(c) to determine the amount of a distribution attributable to covered gifts and covered bequests. This term also includes the U.S. citizen or resident shareholders, partners, or other interest-holders, as the case may be (if any), of a business entity that receives a covered gift or covered bequest.

(f) Covered bequest. The term covered bequest means any property acquired by a recipient on or after June 17, 2008, directly or indirectly by reason of the death of a covered expatriate, regardless of the situs of the property and of whether such property was acquired by the covered expatriate before or after expatriation from the United States, but only to the extent the property would have been included in the covered expatriate's gross estate for Federal estate tax purposes if the covered expatriate had been a U.S. citizen immediately before death. See paragraph (i) of this section for guidance in determining when property is acquired indirectly for purposes of this paragraph (f). The term covered bequest also includes any other property that would have been included in the covered expatriate's gross estate for Federal estate tax purposes (for example, under section 2035 of the Code) if the covered expatriate had been a U.S. citizen immediately before death, as well as distributions made by reason of the death of a covered expatriate from a non-electing foreign trust to the extent the distributions are attributable to covered gifts and covered bequests made to the non-electing foreign trust on or after June 17, 2008. See § 28.2801-3 for additional rules and exceptions applicable to the term covered bequest.

(g) Covered gift. The term covered gift means any property acquired by a recipient on or after June 17, 2008, by gift directly or indirectly from an individual who is a covered expatriate at the time the property is received by the recipient, regardless of the situs of such property and of whether such property was acquired by the covered expatriate before or after expatriation from the United States. See paragraph (i) of this section for guidance in determining when property is acquired indirectly for purposes of this paragraph (g). The term covered gift also includes distributions made, other than by reason of the death of a covered expatriate, from a non-electing foreign trust to the extent the distributions are attributable to covered gifts and covered bequests made to the non-electing foreign trust on or after June 17, 2008. See § 28.2801-3 for additional rules and exceptions applicable to the term covered gift.

(h) Expatriate and covered expatriate. The term expatriate has the same meaning for purposes of section 2801 as that term has in section 877A(g)(2) of the Code. The term covered expatriate has the same meaning for purposes of section 2801 as that term has in section 877A(g)(1). The determination of whether an individual is a covered expatriate is made as of the expatriation date as defined in section 877A(g)(3), and if an expatriate meets the definition of a covered expatriate, the expatriate is a covered expatriate for purposes of section 2801 at all times after the expatriation date. However, an expatriate is not treated as a covered expatriate for purposes of section 2801 during any period beginning after the expatriation date during which such individual is subject to United States estate or gift tax (chapter 11 or chapter 12 of subtitle B) as a U.S. citizen or resident. See section 877A(g)(1)(C). An individual's status as a covered expatriate will be determined as of the date of the most recent expatriation, if there has been more than one.

(i) Indirect acquisition of property. For purposes of paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section, an indirect acquisition of property means the receipt of an interest in property, gratuitously passed from or conferred by the covered expatriate, by or on behalf of the recipient through another person, or by a trust or entity in which the recipient has an interest, regardless of the means or device employed. Such an indirect acquisition includes but is not limited to—

(1) Property acquired by a recipient through a transfer to a corporation or other entity other than a trust or estate, to the extent of the ownership interest of the recipient in that corporation or other entity;

(2) Money paid or property distributed by a covered expatriate, or distributed from a non-electing foreign trust that received a covered gift or covered bequest, in satisfaction of a debt or liability of the recipient, regardless of the payee of that payment or distribution;

(3) Property acquired by or on behalf of a recipient pursuant to the exercise, release, or lapse (without regard to the exception in section 2041(b)(2) or 2514(e) of the Code) of a non-covered expatriate's power of appointment granted by a covered expatriate over property not in trust, unless the property previously was subjected to section 2801 tax upon the grant of the power or the covered expatriate had no more than a non-general power of appointment over that property; and

(4) Property acquired through or from any person not subject to the section 2801 tax that is, in substance, a covered gift or covered bequest from a covered expatriate.

(j) Power of appointment. The term power of appointment refers to both a general and non-general power of appointment, except as expressly limited to one or the other in a particular provision of the regulations in this part 28. The term general power of appointment has the same meaning as in sections 2041(b)(1) and 2514(c). The term non-general power of appointment means any power of appointment that is not a general power of appointment. For purposes of section 2801, the term power of appointment is defined without regard to the exception in section 2041(b)(2) or 2514(e).

(k) Section 2801 tax. The term section 2801 tax has the meaning provided in § 28.2801-1(a).

(l) Section 2801(c) amount. The term section 2801(c) amount is the dollar amount of the per-donee gift tax exclusion in effect under section 2503(b) for that calendar year.

(m) Statutory references—(1) Code. The term Code means the Internal Revenue Code.

(2) Subtitle B. The term subtitle B means subtitle B of the Code.

(n) Applicability date. This section applies to covered gifts or covered bequests received on or after January 1, 2025.