Refunds of excess tax paid.

(1) Whenever it appears, upon the examination of any return made under this chapter or upon proof submitted to the department by the personal representative, that an amount of estate tax has been paid in excess of the tax legally due under this chapter, the amount of such overpayment, together with any overpayment of interest thereon shall be refunded to the personal representative and paid by the Chief Financial Officer; such refund shall be made by the department as a matter of course regardless of whether or not the personal representative has filed a written claim therefor, except that upon request of the department, the personal representative shall file with the department a conformed copy of any written claim for refund of federal estate tax which has theretofore been filed with the United States.

(2) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, no refund of estate tax shall be made nor shall any personal representative be entitled to bring any action for refund of estate tax after the expiration of 4 years from the date of payment of the tax to be refunded, unless there shall have been filed with the department written notice of any administrative or judicial determination of the federal estate tax liability of the estate, whichever shall last occur, and such notice shall have been so filed not later than 60 days after the determination shall have become final.

(3) For the purpose of this section, an administrative determination shall be deemed to have become final on the date of receipt by the personal representative or other interested party of the final payment to be made refunding federal estate tax or upon the last date on which the personal representative or any other interested party shall receive notice from the United States that an overpayment of federal estate tax has been credited by the United States against any liability other than federal estate tax of said estate. A final judicial determination shall be deemed to have occurred on the date on which any judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction and determining that there has been an overpayment of federal estate tax becomes final.

(4) Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent a personal representative from bringing or maintaining an action in any court of competent jurisdiction, within any period otherwise prescribed by law, to determine any question bearing upon the taxable situs of property, the domicile of a decedent, or otherwise affecting the jurisdiction of the state to impose an inheritance or estate tax with respect to a particular item or items of property.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, estate tax may not be refunded pursuant to any allegation that the decedent was a resident of another state unless this state is a party to any compromise agreement between the decedent’s estate and the other state or unless this state is allowed to intervene as a party in any action in the other state in which the residency of the decedent is at issue.