A parent's estate
Help with a parent's taxes after they die
When a parent dies, their tax affairs often land on whoever is handling the estate. We help executors and families sort out what's owed, file the returns the estate needs, and answer the IRS letters that keep arriving.
This page is for you if
You're the executor or the family member handling things
Letters keep arriving in your parent's name
Your parent hadn't filed for a few years
The estate may need an estate tax or gift tax return
How we help an estate
Most estates need only some of these steps. We'll say which on the call.
- 01
Step 1: We sort the mail
You upload what's arrived. We tell you which letters need an answer and which are just notices.
- 02
Step 2: We pull the IRS records
With the right authority, we see what was filed and what's owed for each year.
- 03
Step 3: We file what the estate needs
Final returns, estate income tax returns and, for larger estates, the estate tax return.
- 04
Step 4: We close it out
We ask the IRS to confirm it's finished, so you can pay out what's left without worrying.
Questions about a parent's estate
Am I personally on the hook for my parent's tax?
Usually not. The estate owes it. An executor can become responsible if they pay out the estate before the IRS, which is one reason to talk to us before distributing anything.
Does every estate owe estate tax?
No. The federal estate tax reaches only large estates. Most estates owe no estate tax, though they may still need a final income tax return.
Can you work with the estate's probate lawyer?
Yes. We handle the tax side and keep them copied, and we don't handle probate itself.
Holding a box of a parent's letters?
You don't have to read them all first. Book the free call and we'll start with the newest one.