Many thanks for your response.
I have 2 follow-up questions:
(1) The bank account in my mother's name was closed last year. When you say the refund can be direct deposited to my mother's account, are your referring to the estate bank account which is titled: Estate of Jane Doe ?
(2) An estate bank account can only be opened if probate is used. Some estates don't need probate, so there is no estate bank account. If no bank account is entered on 1040, IRS must issue refund as a paper check. In this situation, in what name does the IRS issue the paper check? There are 3 possibilities:
Jane Doe (taxpayer's name)
Estate of Jane Doe
name of court-appointed representative
I will be the executor for my aunt when she dies, and she will have no probate or estate bank account. So I'm concerned about this issue, but I've been unable to find the answer.
