39-19-103. Imposition of tax.

(a) Taxable event. A tax is imposed on the transfer of property constituting the Wyoming gross estate of every decedent.

(b) Basis of tax. The amount of tax is the maximum state death tax credit allowed to a Wyoming estate as a credit against federal estate taxes under the laws of the United States for estate, inheritance, legacy and succession taxes actually paid to the several states times the ratio which the Wyoming gross estate bears to the value of the federal gross estate, or the maximum state death tax credit allowable to a Wyoming gross estate, whichever is greater. W.S. 39-19-101 through 39-19-111 are intended to take full advantage for Wyoming of the credit which is allowed as a deduction from the federal estate tax liability of estates of decedents, for state taxes upon property or transfer thereof by reason of death, without increasing the aggregate of federal and state death, transfer or succession taxes upon any estate.

(c) Taxpayer. The personal representative of an estate, a portion of which constitutes Wyoming gross estate, shall file with the department a duplicate of all federal estate tax returns and notices required to be made to the federal authorities and pay the Wyoming estate tax to the department. Any tax liability under W.S. 39-19-101 through 39-19-111 becomes, from the time the tax liability is due and payable, a debt of the taxpayer to the state, to be recovered in an action on this title. The attorney general may bring an action at the request of the department in the name of the state to collect any tax liability of any taxpayer under W.S. 39-19-101 through 39-19-111.