Deceased trustee/creator

[khorshed]

A trustee/creator passes away in 2023. He used to claim the trust income & expenses under his 1040.

1- For 2023 tax return should the trust be filed under the Decedent trustee 1040 or file 1041 under Successor Trustee?

2- The successor trustee sold stocks from the trust & distributed the proceeds among beneficiaries, should the basis of these stocks be The initial cost of the asset when it was first acquired or step-up Fair Market Value at Death?

[sjrcpa · Accepted solution]

1. Income up until date of death goes on 1040. Income after death goes on 1041.

2. Assuming it was a plain vanilla Grantor Trust, the assets in the trust get a basis step up (or down) to date of death FMV.