When an estate has been open for more than 2 years you have to tell the IRS why it hasn't been closed yet.

Page 3, Question 8.  Like, there's some IRS employee in pajamas at home on a couch, looking for these to make sure there's a good reason.  I leave it blank, but my fiduciary client prefers paper returns.  Just enter something like "Estate is still under administration and not ready to close." 

Remember the old days, when the second extension request filed on August 15 had to show a reason?  It's sort of like that game.  

I have one that I thought was turning into Bleak House. Open for 9 years while heirs and tenants fought, sued and counter sued. Finally closed last month. I put an explanation. Never had any inquiry.

@sjrcpa 

Why the dickens you have to bring up the Jarndyce case?  Keep your literary allusions to yourself, Boomer.

It was as true . . . as turnips is. It was as true . . . as taxes is. And nothing’s truer than them.
...From  David Copperfield

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