Thank you JulieS. Your answer was encouraging and helpful. It was particularly helpful in describing exactly where to find the place to let TT know you are filing for someone else who is deceased. I am not yet sure whether I will file with TT electronically, on paper, or not at all and let my CPA prepare the return to give to me, but if I go with TT, this will be helpful.
Of course I will also have to find out whether New York gives me the same authority to file for my mother as the IRS does. Have no clue what they require for the state tax return.
I plan to have a talk with both a CPA and an attorney I use for the trusts before filing these returns to discuss this and other matters. What I do will likely be based on their advice and I am hoping it agrees with your interpretation of what the IRS wrote in the link you provided. It seems like it would be a relatively easy solution if I don't have to rush to try to squeeze in a court procedure with so little time left. Like losing your mother and having to go through tax filing season at the same time isn't enough to trigger a heart attack without having to throw lawyers and courts into the mix.
Thanks again to you and all who replied. Appreciate it.
