The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) can help taxpayers find out how they can file a deceased person’s tax return. Some people may have been in the hospital during the 2025 Tax Season, and they may have not had time to file. Unfortunately, some of them may have passed away. Therefore, it is important for their spouse or adult children to know if they must file a 2024 tax return.
As a matter of fact, the IRS offers an interview that will help a taxpayer determine how they can file a decedent’s individual tax return in the United States. Before you carry out this useful online interview, make sure you have gathered all the essential information to be able to answer all the questions and be able to finish it once you start it.
Who can use this IRS tool?
For your information, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that this tool has been designed for those people who were United States citizens or resident aliens for the whole year you want to know if the deceased person had the obligation to file a (2024 or 2025) tax return.
Do not forget that if the information you enter is not accurate, the conclusion will not be accurate. So, these conclusions will be based on the given information. Hence, the answers this tool gives you do not constitute written advice.
The good thing is that you can quickly take this interview since it only takes 7 minutes. Never use the “Back” button once you start the interview because it causes errors. See the link at the bottom to answer these IRS questions.
Questions you may be asked by this IRS tool
In the first place, once you click the “Begin” button, you will then have to click on “Continue”. After that, you will have to say whether you are asking about the tax return for the year of death OR the tax return for a year prior to the year of death.
Select:
- Year of Death, ot
- Year prior to the year of death
Select one of these two options and click on “Continue”. The IRS will also ask you if there was a filing requirement for the prior year. The marital status of the deceased person will be the following question.
So, say the marital status of the decedent as of December 31st of the year you would like to know about. After that question, you will need to say whether the decedent’s tax return will result in an amount owed or in a tax refund. It may be the case that you are unsure or that it is neither of them.
If the decedent was married, the IRS will also ask you if you would like a joint return or not. Of course, it is possible that there is a surviving spouse, so indicate so. Do you know if the court will appoint a personal representative? Is there anything written in the will about the representative? Finally, you will get instructions if you were able to answer all the questions.
https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/how-do-i-file-a-deceased-persons-tax-return