When a US citizen who lives abroad passes away and their property is not being administered by an executor or administrator appointed, qualified and acting within the United States, obtaining a transfer certificate from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is necessary in order to transfer US source assets to the heirs if the value of the estate is less than $5,430,000 in 2015 and $5,450,000 in 2016(this threshold changes on a yearly basis). If the value of the estate is over this amount instead of obtaining a transfer certificate the taxpayer must file a form 706-United States Estate Tax Return.