Dads estate got his full Trad IRA distrib 9/17. Do I file the IRA as2017 estate income or wait til the estate pays beneficiaries in 2018, then the bens pay taxes for 2018

[jshybut3821]

My father passed away in June 2017, his estate received his full Traditional IRA distribution in September 2017. Do I need to file the IRA distribution as income on the estate for 2017 or wait until the estate is distributed to its beneficiaries in 2018 and then have the beneficiaries pay those taxes for the 2018 tax year?

[dmertz · Accepted solution]

This income to the estate will be passed through to you on a Schedule K-1 (Form 1041).  The Schedule K-1 income is reportable on your individual tax return for the year which includes the end date of estate's tax year for which the Schedule K-1 was generated.

Contact the estate's executor or personal representative to find out whether the estate is using a calendar year or a fiscal year and to find out which estate tax year's Schedule K-1 will show the income.