Filing Tax For Deceased Person

The answer to the question about filing tax for deceased person below answers questions about:

• Filing income tax for a deceased father
• Filing tax for a deceased mother
• Filing tax for a deceased spouse

Do I have to file an income tax return for a deceased person?

You must file an income tax return for a decedent if both of the following are true.

1. You are the:
   • surviving spouse,

   • executor,

   • administrator or

   • legal representative.

2. The decedent met the filing requirements at the time of his or her death.

This means if your deceased mother, father or spouse did not need to file a tax return the year he or she died, then you won't need to file the final tax return on his or her behalf. Also, if your relationship to the deceased person is not one of the above, then you are not responsible for filing the tax return for the deceased person.

Where to get more information on filing taxes for deceased person?

See IRS publication 559, Final Return for Decedent.