Total U.S. estate tax collections increased to about $27 billion in 2008, up 8% from the 2007 total.
The Internal Revenue Service has published those figures in its 2008 data book.
Total IRS collections increased 2% in 2008, to $2.7 trillion, and gift tax collections increased 36%, to $3.3 billion.
Estate taxes accounted for about 1% of IRS collections in 2008.
The number of estates and trusts filing tax returns or tax obligation estimates in 2008 was 4 million, down from 4.5 million in 2007.