Filing Taxes for Deceased With No Estate Using Form 1041
While debt goes to the grave with you, taxes don’t. In fact, when people die, their executor is responsible for paying taxes if they received reportable income in the year they passed.
And if you’re a survivor of someone who passed away, are you responsible for filing their final tax return? What if the individual who passed did not have any assets associated with an estate? Read on to learn more about filing taxes for a deceased individual…
Filing Taxes for a Deceased Individual With No Estate
If the deceased person didn’t have any reportable income or assets to claim in their estate, you do not need to file an estate tax return on their behalf using Form 1041.
Who Needs to File Form 1041?
If the deceased individual left a will and named you as the executor in charge of their estate, you are responsible for filing taxes on their behalf IF they have a reportable income.
Filing Taxes for a Deceased Individual With an Estate Using Form 1041
You have to file a Form 1041: U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts for any year either of these applies:
- The estate had $600 or more gross income (without subtracting expenses).
- The estate had any taxable income.
- One or more beneficiaries of the estate are nonresident aliens.
When Do You Need to File an Estate Tax Return With Form 1041?
File estate taxes each year by the appropriate filing deadline for the estate’s tax year. This is April 15 for a calendar year estate or the 15th day of the fourth month for a fiscal estate.
More Help with Filing Taxes for a Deceased Parent
Whether you are concerned about filing taxes for a deceased parent with no estate, or someone else in your family, we are here to help.
You should make an appointment with one of our knowledgeable tax pros, who can help you get back the most money possible.
Allie Freeland
Contributing Editor, H&R BlockAllie is the Contributing Editor of the H&R Block blog, Block Talk. She has been a practicing grammar geek since 2007.
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