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291.44 Determination of domicile.

If in any such case it appears that an agreement cannot be reached, as provided in section 291.43, or if one year shall have elapsed from the date of the election without such an agreement having been reached, the domicile of the decedent at the time of death shall be determined solely for death tax purposes as follows:

(1) Where only this state and one other state are involved, the commissioner of revenue and the taxing official of the other state shall each appoint a member of a board of arbitration, and these members shall appoint the third member of the board. If this state and more than one other state are involved, the taxing officials thereof shall agree upon the authorities charged with the duty of administering death tax laws in three states not involved in the dispute and each of these authorities shall appoint a member of the board of arbitration. The board shall select one of its members as chair.

(2) Such board shall hold hearing at such places as are deemed necessary, upon reasonable notice to the executors, ancillary administrators, all other interested persons, and to the taxing officials of the states involved, all of whom are entitled to be heard.

(3) Such board may administer oaths, take testimony, subpoena witnesses and require their attendance, require the production of books, papers, and documents, issue commissions to take testimony. Subpoenas may be issued by any member of the board. Failure to obey a subpoena may be punished by any court of record in the same manner as if the subpoena had been issued by such court.

(4) Whenever practicable such board shall apply the Rules of Evidence then prevailing in the federal courts under the federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

(5) Such board shall determine the domicile of the decedent at the time of death. This determination is final and conclusive and binds this state, and all of its judicial and administrative officials on all questions concerning the domicile of the decedent for death tax purpose.

(6) The reasonable compensation and expenses of the members of the board and its employees shall be agreed upon among such members, the taxing officials involved, and the executors. If an agreement cannot be reached, such compensation and expenses shall be determined by such taxing officials; and, if they cannot agree, by the appropriate court having probate jurisdiction of the state determined to be the domicile. Such amount shall be borne by the estate and shall be deemed an administration expense.

(7) The determination of such board and the record of its proceeding shall be filed with the authority having jurisdiction to assess the death tax in the state determined to be the domicile of the decedent and with the authorities which would have had jurisdiction to assess the death tax in each of the other states involved if the decedent had been found to be domiciled therein.

HIST: 1951 c 247 s 4; 1973 c 582 s 3; 1986 c 444; 1995 c 189 s 8; 1996 c 277 s 1

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes