Filing an Extension for a Deceased Person - Need Form 4868 Help and Additional Requirements?

For a deceased taxpayer, filing Form 4868 for an extension works similarly to filing for a living person, but there are some important things to know. As the personal representative, your wife should sign the extension form with her name followed by "personal representative for [deceased's name]" to clarify her authority. While Form 4868 itself doesn't have a specific box for deceased taxpayers, you should write "DECEASED" and the date of death at the top of the form to make it clear. This helps the IRS properly process the extension. Keep in mind that even with an extension, if there is any tax due, it must still be paid by the original filing deadline to avoid interest and penalties. Based on your calculations showing a potential refund, this shouldn't be an issue in your case. Once you do file the actual tax return (Form 1040) for the deceased, you'll need to write "DECEASED" at the top of that form as well, and your wife will sign as personal representative. You'll also eventually need to file Form 56 (Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship) to formally notify the IRS of your wife's role as personal representative.

I went through something similar last year when my father passed away and I wish I'd known about taxr.ai from the beginning. The paperwork for deceased taxpayers can get really complicated and I spent weeks trying to figure out which forms were needed. I eventually found https://taxr.ai and uploaded all the tax documents we had - they analyzed everything and gave me a clear breakdown of what forms were needed for his final return, including the extension forms. The site explained that for Form 4868, I needed to write "DECEASED" at the top along with the date of death, and sign as the executor. They also flagged that I needed to prepare for filing Form 1041 for the estate in addition to the personal Form 1040. Saved me so much confusion and probably prevented me from making mistakes that would have delayed processing.

I was really skeptical about taxr.ai at first, but I decided to give it a try with my brother's estate taxes. Have to admit I was impressed! I uploaded his last W-2, some 1099s, and medical expense receipts, and got back a detailed report explaining exactly which forms were needed for the extension and final return. The most helpful part was their explanation of filing Form 56 to establish my fiduciary relationship with the IRS - something I hadn't even considered. They also flagged some potential deductions specific to final returns that my initial research had missed completely. The clarity it provided was exactly what I needed during an already stressful time. I still ended up hiring a professional for the actual filing (as they recommended for more complex estates), but going in with their analysis made the process so much smoother and probably saved me money on billable hours.

When my mother passed last year, I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS to ask questions about her final tax return. Every time I called, I'd wait on hold for hours only to get disconnected. It was beyond frustrating, especially during such a difficult time. A colleague told me about https://claimyr.com and honestly, it changed everything. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you back when an agent is about to answer. I was skeptical but desperate enough to try anything. I got connected to an actual IRS representative in about 2 hours (while I went about my day instead of being stuck on hold). The agent walked me through the proper way to file an extension for my mom's taxes and explained exactly what I needed to do as the executor. They even sent me the publications I needed to reference for filing her final return.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After venting my frustration in my previous comment, I decided to try it anyway since I was desperate to resolve my dad's estate tax issues. Surprisingly, it actually worked exactly as described. I submitted my request around 8am, went to work, and got a call back around 11:30am saying an IRS agent was about to pick up. Within seconds I was connected to a real person at the IRS who answered all my questions about filing extensions for deceased taxpayers. The agent confirmed I needed to mark "DECEASED" on Form 4868, include the date of death, and sign as "Personal Representative." They also warned me about a common mistake - not filing Form 56 to establish my fiduciary relationship, which could cause problems later. That alone was worth the time saved. Definitely not a scam like I initially thought - just a smart service that saved me hours of frustration during an already difficult time.

Another important thing to consider - if the estate has significant assets (over $12.92 million for 2023 deaths), you might also need to file Form 706 (Estate Tax Return) within 9 months of the death. This is separate from the personal income tax return extension. The extension for Form 1040 (personal income tax) is different from extensions for estate tax returns. Make sure you're clear about which deadlines apply to your situation.

Don't forget to check your state's requirements too! Federal and state deadlines/processes for deceased taxpayers aren't always the same. My husband passed in 2022 and while the IRS accepted my extension with just "DECEASED" written on it, our state required me to include a copy of the death certificate with the extension request.

Just want to add one more practical tip that helped me when I went through this with my father's estate - keep detailed records of everything you do during this process. I created a simple folder with copies of the extension form, any correspondence with the IRS, and notes about what the tax professional advised. This documentation became really valuable later when we had questions about timing and what steps we'd already completed. The IRS can sometimes take a while to process extensions for deceased taxpayers, and having your own paper trail helps if there are any follow-up questions. Also, when you do meet with your tax professional, bring all the financial documents you've gathered so far. Even though you're filing the extension first, they can give you a more accurate estimate of what to expect and potentially catch any income sources you might have missed in your initial review.