Does Social Security mail 1099 tax forms to deceased beneficiaries' addresses?
My father passed away in October and I'm trying to get his finances in order. He was receiving Social Security retirement benefits for several years before he died. I know the SSA sends out SSA-1099 forms in January for tax purposes, but will they still mail one to his address even though he's deceased? I'm the executor of his estate and will need to file his final tax return. Should I call the SSA to have them send it to me directly instead? I've been dreading dealing with his taxes and just realized this might be an issue.
36 comments


Mason Kaczka
Yes, the SSA will still send the SSA-1099 to your father's last address of record. Since he received benefits for part of 2025, a tax form will be generated. If you're handling his estate, you should be able to access his mail. If that's not possible, you can request a replacement 1099 after February 1st by calling SSA or visiting your local office with proof that you're the executor.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•Thank you! I don't have access to his mailbox anymore since we sold his house last month. Didn't even think about this until now. Guess I'll have to call them in February.
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Sophia Russo
When my mom died we had SUCH a nightmare getting her 1099!! The mail forwarding expired and we never got it. Ended up having to go to the SS office IN PERSON with death certificate and executor papers. Took half a day but they printed one for us right there.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•Oh no, that sounds awful. I hope it doesn't come to that. His mail forwarding is going to my sister's house but she's not great about checking it regularly.
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Evelyn Xu
OMG I've been waiting on hold with Social Security for TWO HOURS trying to deal with my dad's missing 1099!!! This happens EVERY year - the govt sends these forms too late and then expects us to file taxes on time?? And now with him passed away it's even MORE complicated. So frustrating!!!!!
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Dominic Green
•If you're struggling to get through to Social Security by phone, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that calls SSA for you and connects you once an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of waiting when I needed to handle my spouse's survivor benefits paperwork. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU
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Hannah Flores
Just to add some clarification - the SSA-1099 for a deceased person will show all benefits paid before death. As executor, you'll need this for the final tax return. If you can't get the original form, you have several options: 1. Request a replacement through my Social Security online account (if you have access to your father's account) 2. Visit a local SSA office with your ID and documentation showing you're the executor 3. Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to request a replacement The replacement forms are usually available after February 1st. I recommend handling this well before tax filing deadline to avoid delays with the final return.
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Kayla Jacobson
•my wife passed in 2024 and i just printed her 1099 from her my social security account. i already had her login info from when she was sick. maybe you have your dads?
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William Rivera
I work in tax prep and see this all the time. SSA does mail the 1099 to the last address, but you can also get a copy at the local office. Bring the death certificate and letters testamentary/executor documents. They're usually pretty good about this particular issue since it happens so often. Dont wait until April though!
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•Thanks for the advice! I have all the documents ready, just wasn't sure about the process. I'll definitely try to handle this in February rather than waiting.
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Evelyn Xu
My dad died in 2023 and we never got his final 1099. The IRS ended up sending us a nasty letter saying we underreported his income! Make SURE you get that form one way or another!
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Sophia Russo
•Same happened to my cousin! The IRS acts like we're trying to cheat when it's really just impossible to get the right forms sometimes!
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Mason Kaczka
One more thing I forgot to mention - if you're filing the final tax return, you'll need to indicate that the taxpayer is deceased. Usually this is done by writing "DECEASED" and the date of death at the top of the 1040 form. The SSA-1099 will show all benefits paid to your father during the months he was alive in 2025. Any benefits paid for the month of death need to be reported, even if they were received in the following month.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•That's really helpful information. I wasn't aware of the notation needed on the 1040. Would a tax professional automatically know to do this, or should I specifically mention it?
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Mason Kaczka
•Any experienced tax professional should know this, but it never hurts to mention it specifically. Also, if your father's final return results in a refund, you may need to submit Form 1310 (Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer) along with the return.
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Gianni Serpent
I'm sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through something similar when my grandfather passed away last year. The SSA will automatically generate and mail the 1099 to his last known address since he received benefits during 2025. However, since you mentioned the house was sold, I'd recommend being proactive and calling SSA after February 1st to request a duplicate sent directly to you. Make sure you have his Social Security number, your executor documentation, and his death certificate ready when you call. Also, if you're planning to use a tax professional for the final return, let them know about the situation early - they can often help expedite getting the necessary forms. The whole process is stressful enough without having to chase down paperwork at the last minute.
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Freya Christensen
•Thank you for sharing your experience, Gianni. It's reassuring to hear from someone who's been through this process. I do have all the documentation you mentioned ready to go. The proactive approach makes a lot of sense - better to call early in February than wait and risk missing something important. I hadn't thought about giving my tax preparer a heads up about the situation either, but that's a great point. Thanks for the practical advice during what's definitely been a stressful time.
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Zoe Walker
I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through this exact situation when my mother passed away in 2023. The SSA will definitely still send the 1099 to your father's last address since he received benefits during 2024, but since you sold the house, you'll want to be proactive. I'd suggest calling SSA right after February 1st (that's when replacement forms become available) at 1-800-772-1213. Have his SSN, death certificate, and your executor paperwork ready. They were actually very helpful when I called - much more understanding about estate situations than I expected. Also, if you end up needing to visit a local office, try to go early in the morning to avoid long wait times. The whole process of settling an estate is overwhelming, but this part is definitely manageable once you know the steps.
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Harper Collins
•Thank you so much, Zoe. It's really comforting to hear from people who have actually been through this process. I'm definitely planning to call right after February 1st now - seems like that's the consensus from everyone here. Good tip about going early to the office if needed. You're right that the whole estate process feels overwhelming, but breaking it down into manageable steps like this helps a lot. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
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Thais Soares
I'm sorry for your loss, Olivia. I handled a similar situation when my uncle passed away last year. Since you mentioned the house was sold and you no longer have access to his mailbox, I'd definitely recommend calling SSA right after February 1st to request the 1099 be sent directly to you. When I called, they were surprisingly understanding about the situation - just make sure you have his SSN, your executor paperwork, and the death certificate handy. One thing that helped me was creating a checklist of all the tax documents I needed for his final return (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) so I could tackle them systematically rather than feeling overwhelmed by everything at once. The SSA staff were actually more helpful than I expected once I explained I was settling an estate.
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NebulaNinja
•That's such a helpful approach, Thais - creating a checklist for all the tax documents needed. I hadn't thought about organizing it that way, but it makes so much sense when everything feels overwhelming. I'm going to make a list of all the forms I'll need to track down (his W-2 from his part-time job, bank interest statements, etc.) along with the SSA-1099. It's encouraging to hear that multiple people have found the SSA staff understanding about estate situations. I was honestly dreading having to deal with government agencies, but it sounds like they're used to handling these requests.
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Isla Fischer
I'm really sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through this exact situation when my mom passed away in September 2024. The SSA will definitely send the 1099 to your father's last address since he received benefits during part of 2025, but since you sold the house, you'll want to get ahead of this. I called SSA in early February and they were able to send a replacement directly to me once I provided the death certificate and executor documentation. One tip - when you call, ask them to make a note in his file that he's deceased and that you're the executor. This saved me time on follow-up calls because they already had the information in their system. The phone wait times can be brutal, so I'd suggest calling right when they open at 7 AM local time. Also, don't stress too much about this - the IRS understands that final returns can be complicated and they're generally reasonable about extensions if you need more time to gather documents.
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Chloe Harris
•Thank you, Isla. That's really practical advice about asking them to make a note in his file - I wouldn't have thought of that but it makes perfect sense for any future calls. The tip about calling right at 7 AM is gold too, since I've heard horror stories about the wait times. It's reassuring to know the IRS is generally understanding about final returns being complicated. I've been so anxious about missing deadlines or doing something wrong, but hearing from everyone who's been through this process is really helping me feel more confident about tackling it step by step.
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Sofía Rodríguez
I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. I dealt with this exact situation when my father passed away in August. The SSA automatically sends the 1099 to the deceased person's address even after they've died, since he received benefits during 2025. Given that you sold his house, I'd strongly recommend calling SSA right after February 1st at 1-800-772-1213 to request they mail a duplicate directly to you. Have his Social Security number, death certificate, and your letters testamentary ready. When I called, they were actually very understanding about estate situations - much more so than I expected. One thing that really helped was calling right at 7 AM when they first open to avoid the terrible hold times. Also, consider setting up mail forwarding from his old address if you haven't already, just in case other important documents come through. The whole estate process is overwhelming, but getting the tax documents sorted early gives you one less thing to worry about come filing season.
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Mei-Ling Chen
•Thank you for all the practical advice, Sofía. The tip about calling right at 7 AM is something I keep hearing from everyone - clearly the key to avoiding those nightmare wait times! I actually did set up mail forwarding from his address to my sister's place before we sold the house, but it's only good for a year and she's not the most reliable about checking mail regularly. So calling SSA directly seems like the safer bet. It's really reassuring to hear from so many people that the SSA staff are understanding about estate situations. I was honestly dreading dealing with government agencies during an already difficult time, but everyone's experiences give me hope that this will be more manageable than I feared.
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Oliver Weber
I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through this same situation when my grandmother passed away in November. The SSA will automatically send the 1099 to your father's last known address since he received benefits during 2025, but since you no longer have access to that mailbox, I'd definitely recommend being proactive. Wait until after February 1st (that's when replacement forms become available) and call SSA at 1-800-772-1213. Have his SSN, death certificate, and your executor paperwork ready when you call. From my experience, they're actually quite understanding about estate situations. Pro tip: call right at 7 AM when they open to avoid the awful hold times - I learned this the hard way! Also, if you end up needing to visit a local SSA office, bring all the same documents and try to go early in the morning. The whole process of handling someone's final affairs is emotionally exhausting, but this particular step is definitely manageable once you know what to expect.
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Luca Romano
•Thank you, Oliver. I'm really grateful for everyone who's shared their experiences here - it's making what seemed like an overwhelming task feel much more manageable. The 7 AM calling tip seems to be the universal advice from everyone who's dealt with SSA! I'm definitely going to set my alarm and call right when they open on February 1st. It's been such a relief to hear that the SSA staff are generally understanding about estate situations. I was honestly dreading this whole process, but knowing what to expect and having all the right documents ready makes me feel much more prepared. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience during what I'm sure was also a difficult time for your family.
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Fatima Al-Rashid
I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through something very similar when my dad passed away last March. Since you mentioned you sold his house and no longer have access to the mailbox, I'd definitely recommend calling SSA proactively rather than waiting to see if the 1099 shows up at your sister's forwarded mail. The SSA will generate the form since your father received benefits during part of 2025, but getting it to you directly will save a lot of hassle. When you call after February 1st, make sure to have his SSN, your executor documentation, and his death certificate ready. I found it helpful to also ask them to update their records to show that he's deceased and that you're handling the estate - it made any follow-up calls much smoother. The 7 AM tip others mentioned is spot on for avoiding long hold times. Also, don't forget that you'll need this form to complete his final tax return, so getting it sorted early in February gives you plenty of time before tax season gets hectic. The whole estate process is overwhelming, but this is definitely one of the more straightforward parts once you know the steps.
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Lydia Santiago
•Thank you so much, Fatima. Your advice about asking SSA to update their records with the death notification and executor information is really smart - I can see how that would save time on future calls. It's reassuring to hear from so many people that this is one of the more straightforward parts of the estate process, even though it felt really daunting at first. I'm definitely going to call right at 7 AM on February 1st with all my documents ready. Everyone's shared experiences have been incredibly helpful during what's been a really difficult time. I feel much more confident about handling this now that I know what to expect.
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Charlee Coleman
I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through this exact situation when my mother passed away in September 2024. The SSA will definitely mail the 1099 to your father's last address since he received benefits during part of 2025, but since you sold his house, you'll want to be proactive about getting it. I'd recommend calling SSA right after February 1st at 1-800-772-1213 to request they send a replacement directly to you. Make sure you have his Social Security number, death certificate, and your executor paperwork ready when you call. The staff were actually very understanding about my situation - much more helpful than I expected. One tip I learned the hard way: call right at 7 AM when they open to avoid those brutal hold times. Also, if you're working with a tax preparer for his final return, give them a heads up about the situation early so they can help coordinate getting all the necessary documents together. The whole estate process feels overwhelming, but this particular step is definitely manageable once you know what to expect.
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Anna Kerber
•Thank you, Charlee. I really appreciate you sharing your experience - it's so helpful to hear from people who have actually navigated this process. The consistent advice about calling at 7 AM seems to be the key to avoiding those terrible wait times everyone mentions. I'm feeling much more prepared now after reading everyone's responses. It's been such a relief to learn that the SSA staff are generally understanding about estate situations, and that this is actually one of the more manageable parts of settling an estate. I'll definitely have all my documents organized and ready to go when I call on February 1st. Thanks again for taking the time to help during what I know was also a difficult time for you.
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Malik Thomas
I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through this same situation when my stepfather passed away last year in December. The SSA will automatically send the 1099 to your father's last known address since he received benefits during 2025, but given that you've sold the house, I'd strongly recommend calling them proactively. Wait until February 1st when replacement forms become available, then call 1-800-772-1213 first thing at 7 AM to avoid the wait times. Have his SSN, death certificate, and executor documents ready. When I called, they were surprisingly compassionate and efficient - they even offered to flag his account so future calls would go smoother. One thing I wish I'd done differently was to also request they send me a letter confirming the total benefits paid for the year, which can be helpful backup documentation for the tax preparer. The SSA staff deal with these estate situations regularly, so don't hesitate to ask questions. This part of settling an estate is actually more straightforward than it initially seems, and getting it handled early will give you peace of mind during tax season.
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NebulaNinja
•Thank you so much, Malik. That's a really good point about requesting a letter confirming the total benefits paid for the year - I wouldn't have thought to ask for that but it sounds like useful backup documentation to have. It's incredible how helpful everyone in this community has been. I was honestly dreading this whole process when I first posted, but now I feel like I have a clear plan: call at 7 AM on February 1st with all my documents ready, ask them to flag the account, and request both the 1099 and the confirmation letter. Everyone's shared experiences have turned what felt like an impossible task into something manageable. I'm so grateful for this community during such a difficult time.
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Sara Unger
I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through this exact situation when my father passed away in June 2024. The SSA will definitely mail the 1099 to your father's last address since he received benefits during part of 2025, but since you sold his house, you'll want to be proactive. I'd recommend calling SSA right after February 1st at 1-800-772-1213 - have his SSN, death certificate, and your executor paperwork ready. The 7 AM calling tip everyone mentioned is absolutely crucial for avoiding those horrible wait times. When I called, they were actually very understanding and helpful about estate situations. One additional tip: if you end up going to a local SSA office instead, bring a copy of the death certificate along with the original - they often want to keep a copy for their records. Also, don't stress too much about timing - the IRS is generally reasonable about estate situations and understands that final returns can be complex. Getting this sorted in February will give you plenty of time before tax season gets hectic. This community has given you excellent advice, and you're definitely on the right track with your planning.
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Owen Jenkins
•Thank you, Sara. The tip about bringing both a copy and original of the death certificate is really practical - I wouldn't have thought about them potentially wanting to keep a copy for their records. It's amazing how this community has turned what initially felt like an overwhelming bureaucratic nightmare into a manageable task with clear steps. Between everyone's advice about calling at 7 AM on February 1st, having all the right documents ready, and knowing that SSA staff are generally understanding about estate situations, I feel so much more prepared. Your reassurance about the IRS being reasonable with estate situations is also comforting - I've been so worried about missing deadlines or making mistakes. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and for the encouragement!
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Sebastian Scott
I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. I went through this same situation when my mother passed away in October 2023. The SSA will automatically send the 1099 to your father's last address since he received benefits during 2025, but since you sold the house, I'd definitely recommend calling them proactively after February 1st. When I called at 1-800-772-1213, I made sure to have her SSN, death certificate, and my executor paperwork ready. The 7 AM tip that others have mentioned is absolutely essential - I learned that the hard way after waiting on hold for over 3 hours on my first attempt! The SSA staff were surprisingly understanding and helpful once I got through. One thing that really helped me was asking them to mail the 1099 directly to my address and also to note in her file that she was deceased with me as the executor handling the estate. This saved time on any follow-up calls. Also, don't forget that you might need to file Form 1041 for the estate if there's any income after the date of death, so it's worth asking your tax preparer about that too. The whole process of settling an estate is emotionally draining, but this particular step is very manageable once you have a plan. You've gotten excellent advice from this community - you're definitely prepared to handle this!
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