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May 7, 2021
Question

Do you still have to file a tax return for your mom if she passed away two years ago on 11/30/2019? and dividends this past year before her assets transferred to us.

  • May 7, 2021
  • 1 reply
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our mom received a settlement check last spring from Metlife from a class action lawsuit and interest income from merrill lynch over $4,000. we filed a 1040-SR last year for our mom

1 reply

fanfare
Employee
May 7, 2021

IRS Pub 559 --

"If the decedent accounted for income under the cash method, only those items actually or constructively received before death are included on the final return.

Income in Respect of a Decedent

All income the decedent would have received had death not occurred that was not properly includible on the final return, discussed earlier, is income in respect of a decedent.

How To Report

Income in respect of a decedent must be included in the income of one of the following.

  • The decedent's estate, if the estate receives it.
  • The beneficiary, if the right to income is passed directly to the beneficiary and the beneficiary receives it.
  • Any person to whom the estate properly distributes the right to receive it."