Trust & Estate Income Tax
Trust & Estate Income Tax Returns (Form 1041), Prepared by a CPA
Settling an estate or administering a trust comes with its own tax return. We prepare fiduciary income tax filings — Form 1041, beneficiary K-1s, and the decedent's final return — for trustees, executors, and successor trustees, entirely through a secure remote process.
Who This Is For
Support for fiduciaries carrying a real responsibility
Acting as a trustee or executor is a serious duty, often during a hard time. We make the tax side clear and manageable:
- Executors and personal representatives of an estate
- Successor trustees administering a trust after a death
- Trustees of ongoing irrevocable trusts with annual filings
- Families navigating the year a revocable trust becomes irrevocable
What We Handle
Fiduciary income tax, prepared with care
Form 1041 preparation
The core filing
- Estate and trust income tax returns
- Simple and complex trusts
- Grantor trust reporting
- Final-year and short-year returns
Distributions & beneficiaries
Who is taxed on what
- Distributable Net Income (DNI)
- Income distribution deduction
- Beneficiary Schedule K-1s
- Allocation between entity and beneficiaries
Estate & decedent filings
The year of death
- Decedent's final Form 1040
- Income in respect of a decedent
- Estate income during administration
- Coordination across the year of death
Added complexity
When it's not simple
- Multi-state fiduciary filings
- Capital gains and investment income
- Foreign trust reporting touchpoints
- Prior-year amendments where needed
The Process
From Intake to Filing in 5 Steps
Streamlined, transparent, entirely online. This is how you become a client.
Complete Intake Form
Tell us about your situation. Takes 5 minutes. No calls.
Receive Quote
We quote a flat fee within 24 hours. Transparent pricing, no surprises.
Upload Documents
Access your secure portal and upload records — at your pace.
CPA Preparation
Your CPA reviews everything and prepares your return. We keep you posted.
Review & E-File
We email your summary for review. Once approved, we e-file — you're done.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about this service.
Does my trust or estate need to file a return?
Often, yes. A trust or estate generally must file Form 1041 if it has $600 or more of gross income for the year (or any taxable income), and the threshold can be lower in certain cases. A decedent's estate also frequently needs a final Form 1040 for the year of death. We review the facts and confirm exactly what's required.
What is a Schedule K-1, and why did a beneficiary receive one?
When a trust or estate distributes income to beneficiaries, that income is generally taxed to the beneficiary rather than the entity. Schedule K-1 reports each beneficiary's share so they can include it on their own return. Getting the income distribution deduction and the K-1 allocations right is central to preparing Form 1041 correctly.
What's the difference between a grantor and non-grantor trust?
With a grantor trust, the person who created it is treated as the owner for tax purposes, so the income is usually reported on that person's individual return. A non-grantor trust is its own taxpayer and files Form 1041 in its own right. Many revocable living trusts are grantor trusts during life and become non-grantor trusts after the grantor's death — a transition we handle regularly.
My relative passed away and I'm the successor trustee or executor. Where do I start?
Start with the intake form and tell us what you have — the trust or will, date of death, and account and income information. We'll identify which returns are due (the decedent's final 1040, the estate or trust 1041, and any state filings) and walk you through it by email. This is exactly the kind of situation we're built to handle remotely.
Related Services
Often handled together
Get Started
Carrying an estate or trust? Let's make the tax part simple.
Start the intake form and tell us what you have. We'll confirm which returns are due and quote a flat fee — all by secure portal and email.
Start Intake Form