Theresa Santai Gaffney, Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans Court in Schuylkill County, would like residents to know about the Inheritance Tax Amnesty Program. The program came to her attention at a recent conference.

Act 84 of 2015 requires the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue to administer a tax amnesty program to allow people and businesses to pay past-due taxes, with the commonwealth waiving all penalties and half of the interest.The amnesty period runs from April 21 through June 19.Amnesty eligible liabilities are those that have been established as of Dec. 31, 2015.For nonfiled returns, the last date of death eligible for amnesty is March 31, 2015.Taxpayers with nonfiled inheritance tax returns have been instructed to file and pay those returns through the Register of Wills office as they usually would. Taxpayers have been instructed to write "2017 Amnesty" at the top of the return.Letters regarding amnesty were sent to eligible estate representatives.Eligible taxpayers that do not participate may be subject to a 5 percent nonparticipation penalty.Taxpayers must file an amnesty application and pay the amnesty amount due in order to be granted amnesty.The department would ask that you give priority to amnesty returns and payments.The tax amnesty phone number is 844-727-8283 and the website is

www.backtax.pa.gov.Pioneer Credit Recovery is assisting the department with amnesty and is responsible for answering the phone and administering the website. Do not refer amnesty questions to the Inheritance Tax Division.