Do I have to file a K-1 form for Trust Estate as beneficiary after a parent's death?

Unfortunately, you can't just skip reporting income from a K-1 if one is issued to you. The IRS receives a copy of any K-1 your brother files as the Successor Trustee, and they will match it against your return. If you don't report it, you'll likely receive a notice of unreported income and potentially face penalties and interest. However, you don't necessarily need to communicate directly with your brother to handle this properly. The K-1 should be mailed to you, or you could ask the trust's accountant or attorney for a copy directly. You can also file your taxes with the information you have and then amend later if needed when the K-1 arrives. If you deliberately don't report K-1 income that's been reported to the IRS, it could trigger an automated notice or potentially an audit. It's not worth the headache just to avoid dealing with your brother.

After dealing with a similar family mess when my mom passed, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was seriously a lifesaver for handling trust documents. I was completely lost with all the K-1 stuff until I tried their service. You can upload your K-1 and trust documents, and they help you understand exactly what needs to be reported and where. This was especially helpful since I didn't want to keep asking my sister (the trustee) questions about everything.

Just wanted to update about my experience with taxr.ai since I went ahead and tried it after asking questions here. It was actually really helpful! I uploaded the partial K-1 info I had from last year plus some emails about the estate distribution, and it gave me a clear explanation of what I needed for a complete filing. The best part was the step-by-step guide for reporting trust income even when dealing with incomplete information. Definitely worth it for navigating family drama while staying compliant with the IRS.

If you're worried about getting the K-1 information from your brother, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to speak directly with the IRS about your options. I couldn't get a straight answer from my cousin who was executor of my aunt's estate, and waiting on hold with the IRS for hours was impossible with my work schedule. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who explained exactly what my reporting obligations were, even without having all the documentation. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

OK I need to eat my words here. I was the skeptic about Claimyr but I was desperate enough to try it yesterday after my accountant said I needed clarification on a trust K-1 issue ASAP. It actually worked exactly as described. Got a call back in about 15 minutes and spoke to a real IRS agent who confirmed exactly what I needed to do about a missing K-1 from my grandfather's trust. They explained that I could file Form 4852 as a substitute if I had reasonable knowledge of what should be on the K-1 but couldn't get the actual form. Saved me a ton of stress since the filing deadline is coming up fast.

One option nobody mentioned is to get the EIN of the trust and call the IRS yourself to request information about any forms filed under your SSN. This way you can confirm if a K-1 was actually filed without talking to your brother. The IRS can tell you what was reported even if you haven't received the physical form.

My advice - just hire a CPA who specializes in trusts and estates. I went through this exact situation last year with my mom's estate and my sister being difficult about sending documents. I brought what info I had to a CPA, and they handled everything, including reaching out to the trust's accountant directly. Worth every penny for the stress reduction alone.

I'm dealing with a similar trust situation right now and wanted to share what I learned from my tax attorney. Even if you're trying to avoid your brother, you still have legal rights as a beneficiary to receive copies of all trust documents, including K-1s. You can send a formal written request (certified mail) directly to the trust's attorney or accountant - they're required to provide you with the documents regardless of any family drama. This way you bypass your brother entirely while still getting what you need to file correctly. The trust's legal and accounting professionals have a fiduciary duty to all beneficiaries, not just the trustee. It might cost a small copying fee, but it's much better than risking IRS penalties or having to deal with family conflict.