Struggling with Estate Tax Filing Timeline - 9 Month Deadline Questions

So I've been researching estate tax requirements after my grandmother passed away, and I'm really confused about the timing. I read through some IRS regulations that mentioned filing estate taxes within 9 months, which seems really tight considering everything else going on. I'm trying to figure out if this applies in our situation. The estate is under a million dollars total, with a small house and some savings. The house isn't producing any rental income or anything like that. One thing I'm particularly confused about - does having a trust change any of this filing requirement? My grandmother had set up a basic trust, but I'm not clear if that changes the 9-month timeline or if we still need to file estate taxes at all. Any help would be really appreciated as I'm trying to handle this properly while dealing with everything else.

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18 comments

Benjamin Kim

•8M

First, I'm sorry about your grandmother's passing. Regarding estate taxes, here's what you need to know: The 9-month filing deadline (using Form 706) is correct, but it only applies if the total estate exceeds the federal exemption threshold, which for 2025 is $13.61 million per individual. Since you mentioned the estate is under a million dollars, you likely don't need to file a federal estate tax return at all. As for the trust, it depends on what type it is. If it's a revocable living trust, it doesn't change the estate tax requirements - those assets are still considered part of the taxable estate. If it's an irrevocable trust created during her lifetime, those assets might not be counted in the estate. Don't confuse estate taxes with income taxes though. You'll still need to file a final personal income tax return for your grandmother (Form 1040) for the year she passed, and possibly an estate income tax return (Form 1041) if the estate generates more than $600 in income during administration.

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Benjamin Kim

•8M

You're exactly right - with an estate under a million dollars, you won't need to file the federal estate tax return (Form 706), so that 9-month deadline doesn't apply to your situation. For the revocable living trust, you don't file a separate estate tax return for it. Those assets are considered part of her estate for tax purposes, but since you're well under the exemption threshold, no federal estate tax filing is required. However, you should check your state's requirements, as some states have estate or inheritance taxes with much lower thresholds. The trust will need its own tax ID number (EIN) after her passing, and you'll file income tax returns (Form 1041) for the trust if it generates income during administration.

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Samantha Howard

•8M

After my father passed last year, I was in the same boat trying to figure out all the estate tax stuff. What saved me was using https://taxr.ai to analyze all the documents and trust paperwork. I uploaded the trust documents, will, property deeds and it gave me a clear breakdown of what needed to be filed and when. The tool specifically pointed out that we didn't need to file a federal estate tax return because we were under the exemption amount, but it flagged that our state had a much lower threshold for state estate taxes. It also separated out what was covered in the trust vs what went through probate, which clarified exactly what forms we needed. Saved me from missing deadlines I didn't even know existed.

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Samantha Howard

•8M

Yes, it provided the specific forms needed for both federal and state filing. It broke everything down by asset type and ownership structure, so it was clear what needed to be reported where. For instance, it identified that some accounts would require Form 1099s for income reporting while others would be reported on the final 1040. The state-specific guidance was actually impressive. I'm in Oregon, and it correctly identified our state's $1 million estate tax threshold and generated a checklist specific to Oregon's estate tax requirements. It pulls from current tax code databases, so it caught details I would have missed entirely. The analysis even flagged that certain insurance policies were outside the estate for tax purposes.

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Megan D'Acosta

•8M

Wow, I tried https://taxr.ai after reading about it here and it was exactly what I needed! I uploaded my uncle's trust documents, property records, and account statements and got a complete breakdown within minutes. It clearly showed that while we were under the federal threshold, we needed to file in our state (Massachusetts) because their exemption is only $2 million. The most helpful part was how it categorized everything - what assets were in the trust, what passed through the will, and what had beneficiary designations that bypassed both. It even created a timeline of deadlines for each required filing. I was about to pay an estate attorney $3k+ for this exact information! It also explained how the 9-month timeline applied differently to various parts of the estate. Definitely recommend for anyone trying to navigate estate tax questions.

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Ryan Vasquez

•8M

If you're dealing with any IRS questions about the estate or trust, good luck trying to call them directly. After my mom passed, I needed clarification on some estate tax exemptions and tried calling the IRS for weeks. Finally used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Even though we didn't need to file an estate tax return because we were under the threshold, I had questions about how to handle some retirement accounts and rental property income. The IRS agent clarified exactly what forms we needed for the estate's income tax return (Form 1041) and confirmed we didn't need to worry about Form 706 for estate taxes. Saved me weeks of stress trying to get answers. Just thought I'd share since getting actual IRS confirmation on estate tax questions gave me huge peace of mind.

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Ryan Vasquez

•8M

It works by using an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an actual IRS agent answers, you get a call connecting you directly to them. Instead of you personally waiting on hold for hours, their system does it for you. I was skeptical too before trying it. But after spending multiple days trying to get through myself with no success, I was desperate. The service had me on the phone with an actual IRS estate tax specialist within about 20 minutes of them starting the process. The IRS agent even commented that they'd been seeing a lot of calls coming through this service because their hold times have been so bad. Nothing scammy about it - it just does the waiting for you.

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Taylor Chen

•8M

I'm eating my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I tried it anyway out of desperation. Had been trying to get through to the IRS for TWO WEEKS about my father's estate tax questions. The service actually worked exactly as advertised. Got a call back in about 35 minutes connecting me directly to an IRS agent who specialized in estates and trusts. They confirmed we didn't need to file Form 706 for federal estate tax since we were under the threshold, but helped me understand how to handle the investment income the estate received during administration. For anyone dealing with estate tax questions, being able to actually speak with the IRS instead of guessing is invaluable. Especially when you're trying to figure out those "does this apply to me" questions that aren't clearly answered online.

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Keith Davidson

•8M

Don't forget about state estate taxes! The federal exemption is high ($13.61M in 2025) but many states have MUCH lower thresholds. For example, Massachusetts and Oregon are only $1M, Washington is around $2.2M, and Illinois is $4M. Even if you don't need to file federal estate tax, you might need to file at the state level. And yes, many states follow the same 9-month filing requirement. This caught my family off guard when my father passed - we were well under federal limits but over our state's threshold.

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Keith Davidson

•8M

California is actually one of the states that doesn't have a separate estate tax, so you don't need to worry about that specific filing. They rely on picking up tax revenue in other ways, particularly through property tax reassessments when property transfers at death. If your mom's estate includes a home in California, you'll want to look into Proposition 19 rules about property tax reassessments rather than estate taxes. The rules changed recently regarding inherited properties, so that's where your focus should be rather than an estate tax return.

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Benjamin Kim

•8M

Not a stupid question at all! For estate tax purposes, the "gross estate" generally includes everything the person owned or had certain interests in at death - so yes, all those assets you mentioned would count toward the total value, even accounts with named beneficiaries. However, since the total value you mentioned is approximately $1.02 million, that's still well below the federal threshold of $13.61 million, so no federal estate tax return would be required. But as others have mentioned, check your state requirements if you're in a state with its own estate tax, as those thresholds can be much lower.

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