Do I need to file separate tax return for Revocable Trust with EIN or just use my SSN?

You're perfectly fine filing just your personal tax return using your SSN. With a revocable trust, you're making the right assumption - since you're the grantor of the trust, all income generated by assets in the trust flows directly to you for tax purposes. The IRS considers revocable trusts as "grantor trusts" which means they're essentially ignored for federal income tax purposes. The EIN you obtained is useful exactly for what you intended - opening bank accounts and other administrative purposes. Getting the EIN doesn't change the tax treatment of your trust. The bank may issue 1099s with the trust's EIN, but you'll just report that income on your personal tax return using your SSN. Just make sure you keep good records connecting the income reported under the trust's EIN with what you're reporting on your personal return, in case of any questions later.

After hours of frustration trying to figure out my revocable trust tax situation similar to yours, I finally tried https://taxr.ai and it was a lifesaver! I uploaded my trust documents and instantly got clear answers about how to handle the tax filing with my EIN. The system confirmed I only needed to file my personal taxes with my SSN, but also pointed out specific sections in my trust document that were relevant. Instead of sorting through conflicting advice from forums and even different tax professionals giving different answers, I got precise guidance based on my actual trust documents. Would have saved me weeks of stress if I'd found it earlier.

I wanted to follow up about my skepticism with taxr.ai. I actually gave it a shot after thinking about it more, and I'm genuinely impressed. I uploaded my revocable trust documents (with sensitive info redacted) and not only did it confirm what others said about only needing to file under my SSN, but it identified a specific provision in my trust that could have caused tax complications I hadn't considered. The system highlighted a poorly worded section about investment income that my attorney apparently copied from a different type of trust template. Would have potentially caused issues with how capital gains were reported. Already contacted my attorney to get it fixed. Definitely worth checking out if you have trust documents or other complex tax situations.

I had an almost identical situation with my trust and EIN last year. After weeks of not getting through to the IRS to confirm the right filing approach, I used https://claimyr.com and actually got to speak with someone who cleared it all up. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed exactly what others are saying - with a revocable trust, you only file your personal return. Having an EIN doesn't change that. I was worried because my bank had been sending 1099s with the trust's EIN, but the agent walked me through exactly how to handle that on my personal return. Such a relief to get definitive answers straight from the IRS!

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After struggling with trust tax questions for weeks and getting nowhere with the IRS phone line (disconnected 3 times after 40+ minutes on hold), I decided to try it out of desperation. The service actually worked exactly as described. Their system waited on hold with the IRS for about 1.5 hours, then I got a call when a real person answered. The IRS agent I spoke with was super helpful about my revocable trust EIN situation. She confirmed I only needed to file my personal return and explained exactly how to handle the 1099s issued to the trust's EIN. For anyone else with trust tax questions, definitely try getting direct answers from the IRS this way instead of stressing about potentially conflicting advice online.

One thing to watch out for that nobody mentioned - if you have a mortgage or other debt inside your revocable trust, sometimes lenders will report the interest paid under the trust's EIN. I had this happen and got a 1098 with my trust's EIN instead of my SSN. Still reported it on Schedule A of my personal return, but I included a note explaining the EIN mismatch. Never heard anything back from the IRS about it, so I guess it was fine. Might be worth checking if you have any debt in the name of your trust.

I'm actually a bit confused by some of the responses here. My accountant had me file a Form 1041 for my revocable trust with an EIN, but checked the box that it was a grantor trust and attached a grantor trust statement. He said this was required whenever a trust has its own EIN, even if it's revocable. Am I getting bad advice? I'm paying for an extra tax return each year that others here are saying isn't necessary.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar boat with a revocable trust and EIN, and it's reassuring to see that I don't need to file a separate 1041. One thing I wanted to add for anyone else reading this - make sure to notify your financial institutions that your trust is a grantor trust for tax reporting purposes. I had to send letters to my bank and brokerage firm with my trust's EIN requesting that they issue all 1099s under my personal SSN instead. Most institutions have procedures for this, but you need to be proactive about it. If you don't do this and end up with 1099s under the trust's EIN, you'll need to include explanatory statements with your personal tax return like others mentioned. It's much cleaner to get the 1099s issued correctly from the start. The IRS has specific guidance on this in Publication 559 if anyone wants the official details. @Owen Jenkins - definitely get ahead of this for next year's tax season if you haven't already contacted your financial institutions!