Estate - what year's form to use?

[Catherine]

Working on a decedent's estate (Form 1041), and it is late (the client didn't get me any documents until mid-tax-season).

Date of death is late March 2009. Using a fiscal year (March 2009 - Feb 2010) we can finish off in ONE filing. Should I use the 2010 form or the 2009 form?

TIA,

Catherine

[Bart]

Working on a decedent's estate (Form 1041), and it is late (the client didn't get me any documents until mid-tax-season).

Date of death is late March 2009. Using a fiscal year (March 2009 - Feb 2010) we can finish off in ONE filing. Should I use the 2010 form or the 2009 form?

TIA,

Catherine

2009

[Catherine]

2009

That's what I thought; thanks for the confirmation.

[windmill]

That's what I thought; thanks for the confirmation.

Check the initial and final boxes at the top of page 1, Form 1041.

[Gail in Virginia]

If I remember correctly, ATX won't let you mark both boxes on the same return ( or at least it wouldn't the last time I tried.) In that case I normally just mark the final box assuming that the IRS will know from when they issued the EIN that it is the initial return, but won't know it is final unless I tell them on the return. Besides, on fiduciary returns you don't get the standard exemption on the final return so that box is really important in the calculation as well as the information.