Question
My mother died in August 2007 and I did a date of death appraisal on her estate. Two of us siblings are co-owners but we do not own the estate yet. Do I need to do anything about taxes? I have paid her real property taxes.
— Caring.com Community Member, hawaii
Answer
Expert Barbara Steinberg is a certified financial planner, a certified estate advisor, and founder of BSA Advisors, a financial planning firm for senior citizens.
A personal representative of an estate is an executor (appointed by will), administrator (appointed by court), or anyone who is in charge of the decedent?s property. Since you are acting as your mother?s personal representative, you are responsible for filing her final income tax return and the estate tax return.
You may not have to file one or both of these, depending on her income and deductions and the size of the estate. You are also responsible for filing any returns that should have been filed in the past, but were not.
If you do need to file a final return, it is due April 15, 2008. When preparing a final tax return, you need to add "Deceased" after your mother's name on the form. You should also put the date of death on the top. You must sign the return as the personal representative. Don't forget that there may be state income and estate tax forms to file as well.
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