What is an inheritance tax waiver?

An inheritance tax waiver is form that may be required when a deceased person's shares will be transferred to another person. Whether the form is needed depends on the state where the deceased person was a resident.

According to US Bank, as of February 2015, Alabama, Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Tennessee may require the form. Some of these states have certain requirements based on the relationship of the transferee to the deceased person and the type of asset being transferred, so it's important to check the state's laws. A state's department of revenue or finance usually issues these waivers.