Filing for Deceased Sibling

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
February 9, 2025
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My brother passed in 2023 and we filed his federal and state returns for wages earned in 2023 as usual. However, a payroll error was discovered in 2024, so the payroll company issued a check for back pay and sent a W2 for 2024. When I went to create a return for 2024, Turbo Tax flagged an error on the Personal Data Sheet stating, "the date of death should not be before 2024"

Why is this being flagged as an error?

Should I ignore this error and file?

MAK70

It is being flagged as an error because if your brother passed away in 2023 his final return is the 2023 return. The IRS will not accept a return for an individual after the year of their death.

Income received in 2024 is Income in Respect of a Decedent, which is income he would have received if he were alive. If there is an estate, the estate can include the income on the estate tax return. The person who has the right to receive the income can report the income on their return. You would report as Miscellaneous Income with a description of "IRD W2 income from Name". See Income in Respect of a Decedent- How To Report.