Income

Determining Qualified Business Income (QBI) The estate’s or trust’s QBI includes items of income, gain, deduction, and loss that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States and included or allowed in determining taxable income for the year. This includes the estate’s or trust’s share of items of income, gain, deduction, and loss from trades or business conducted by partnerships (other than publicly traded partnerships (PTPs)), S corporations, and other estates or trusts. For more information, see section 199A, the Instructions for Form 8995, and the Instructions for Form 8995-A.

Special Rule for Blind Trust If you are reporting income from a qualified blind trust (under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978), don’t identify the payer of any income to the trust but complete the rest of the return as provided in the instructions. Also enter “Blind Trust” at the top of page 1.

Extraterritorial Income Exclusion The extraterritorial income exclusion isn’t allowed for transactions after 2006. However, income from certain long-term sales and leases may still qualify for the exclusion. For details and to figure the amount of the exclusion, see Form 8873, Extraterritorial Income Exclusion, and its separate instructions. The estate or trust must report the extraterritorial income exclusion on line 15a of Form 1041, page 1.

Although the extraterritorial income exclusion is entered on line 15a, it is an exclusion from income and should be treated as tax-exempt income when completing other parts of the return.

Line 1—Interest Income Report the estate’s or trust’s share of all taxable interest income that was received during the tax year. Examples of taxable interest include interest from:

• Accounts (including certificates of deposit and money market accounts) with banks, credit unions, and thrift institutions;

• Notes, loans, and mortgages;

• U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds;

• U.S. savings bonds;

• Original issue discount; and

• Income received as a regular interest holder of a real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC).

For taxable bonds acquired after 1987, amortizable bond premium is treated as an offset to the interest income instead of as a separate interest deduction. See Pub. 550.

For the year of the decedent’s death, Forms 1099-INT issued in the decedent’s name may include interest income earned after the date of death that should be reported on the

income tax return of the decedent’s estate. When preparing the decedent’s final income tax return, report on Schedule B (Form 1040), line 1, the total interest shown on Form 1099-INT. Under the last entry on line 1, subtotal all the interest reported on line 1. Below the subtotal, enter “Form 1041” and the name and address shown on Form 1041 for the decedent’s estate. Also, show the part of the interest reported on Form 1041 and subtract it from the subtotal.

Line 2a—Total Ordinary Dividends Report the estate’s or trust’s share of all ordinary dividends received during the tax year.

For the year of the decedent’s death, Forms 1099-DIV issued in the decedent’s name may include dividends earned after the date of death that should be reported on the income tax return of the decedent’s estate. When preparing the decedent’s final income tax return, report on Schedule B (Form 1040), line 5, the ordinary dividends shown on Form 1099-DIV. Under the last entry on line 5, subtotal all the dividends reported on line 5. Below the subtotal, enter “Form 1041” and the name and address shown on Form 1041 for the decedent’s estate. Also, show the part of the ordinary dividends reported on Form 1041 and subtract it from the subtotal.

Tip: Report capital gain distributions on Schedule D (Form 1041), line 13.

Line 2b—Qualified Dividends Enter the beneficiary’s allocable share of qualified dividends on line 2b(1) and enter the estate’s or trust’s allocable share on line 2b(2).

If the estate or trust received qualified dividends that were derived from IRD, you must reduce the amount on line 2b(2) by the portion of the estate tax deduction claimed on Form 1041, page 1, line 19, that is attributable to those qualified dividends. Don’t reduce the amounts on line 2b by any other allocable expenses.

Note: The beneficiary’s share (as figured above) may differ from the amount entered in box 2b of Schedule K-1 (Form 1041).

Qualified dividends. Qualified dividends are eligible for a lower tax rate than other ordinary income. Generally, these dividends are reported to the estate or trust in box 1b of Form(s) 1099-DIV. See Pub. 550 for the definition of qualified dividends if the estate or trust received dividends not reported on Form 1099-DIV.

Exception. Some dividends may be reported to the estate or trust as in box 1b of Form 1099-DIV but aren’t qualified dividends. These include the following.

• Dividends received on any share of stock that the estate or trust held for less than 61 days during the 121-day period that began 60 days before the ex-dividend date. The ex-dividend date is the first date following the declaration of a dividend on which the purchaser of a stock isn’t entitled to receive the next dividend payment. When counting the number of days the stock was held, include the day the estate or trust disposed of the stock but not the day it acquired the stock. However, you can’t count certain days during which the estate’s or trust’s risk of loss was diminished. See Pub. 550 for more details.

• Dividends attributable to periods totaling more than 366 days that the estate or trust received on any share of preferred stock held for less than 91 days during the 181-day period that began 90 days before the ex-dividend date. When

Instructions for Form 1041 (2025) 21

counting the number of days the stock was held, include the day the estate or trust disposed of the stock but not the day it acquired the stock. However, you can’t count certain days during which the estate’s or trust’s risk of loss was diminished. See Pub. 550 for more details. Preferred dividends attributable to periods totaling less than 367 days are subject to the 61-day holding period rule above.

• Dividends on any share of stock to the extent that the estate or trust is under an obligation (including a short sale) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property.

• Payments in lieu of dividends, but only if you know or have reason to know that the payments are not qualified dividends.

Tip: If you have an entry on line 2b(2), be sure you use Schedule D (Form 1041), the Schedule D Tax Worksheet, or the Qualified Dividends Tax Worksheet, whichever applies, to figure the estate’s or trust’s tax. Figuring the estate’s or trust’s tax liability in this manner will usually result in a lower tax.

Line 3—Business Income or (Loss) If the estate operated a business, report the income and expenses on Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business. Enter the net profit or (loss) from Schedule C on line 3.

Line 4—Capital Gain or (Loss) Enter the gain from column (3) of Schedule D (Form 1041), Part III, line 19, or the loss from Part IV, line 20.

If you deferred a capital gain into a QOF, you must file your return with Schedule D, Form 8949, and Form 8997 attached. You will need to file Form 8997 annually until you dispose of the investment. See the Form 8997 instructions.

Caution: Don’t substitute Schedule D (Form 1040) for Schedule D (Form 1041).

Line 5—Rents, Royalties, Partnerships, Other Estates and Trusts, etc. Use Schedule E (Form 1040), Supplemental Income and Loss, to report the estate’s or trust’s share of income or (losses) from rents, royalties, partnerships, S corporations, other estates and trusts, and REMICs. Also use Schedule E (Form 1040) to report farm rental income and expenses based on crops or livestock produced by a tenant. Enter the net profit or (loss) from Schedule E on line 5. See the Instructions for Schedule E (Form 1040) for reporting requirements.

If the estate or trust received a Schedule K-1 from a partnership, an S corporation, or other flow-through entity, use the corresponding lines on Form 1041 to report the interest, dividends, capital gains, etc., from the flow-through entity.

Line 6—Farm Income or (Loss) If the estate or trust operated a farm, use Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Farming, to report farm income and expenses. Enter the net profit or (loss) from Schedule F on line 6.

Caution: If an estate or trust has farm rental income and expenses based on crops or livestock produced by a tenant, report the income and expenses on Schedule E (Form 1040). Don’t use Form 4835, Farm Rental Income and Expenses, or Schedule F (Form 1040) to report such income and expenses and don’t include the net profit or (loss) from such income and expenses on line 6.

Line 7—Ordinary Gain or (Loss) Enter from line 17 of Form 4797, Sales of Business Property, the ordinary gain or loss from the sale or exchange of property other than capital assets and also from involuntary conversions (other than casualty or theft).

Line 8—Other Income Enter other items of income not included on lines 1, 2a, and 3 through 7. List the type and amount on an attached schedule if the estate or trust has more than one item.

Items to be reported on line 8 include the following.

• Unpaid compensation received by the decedent’s estate that is IRD.

• Any part of a total distribution shown on Form 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc., that is treated as ordinary income. For more information, see Form 4972, Tax on Lump-Sum Distributions, and its instructions.

• Taxable contributions received during the tax year by an Alaska Native Settlement Trust from an Alaska Native Corporation. Report gain from taxable contributions of noncash property on Schedule D (Form 1041).

Note: Beginning in tax year 2021, there is no current-year section 965(a) income inclusion reported on line 8. However, see the instructions for Schedule G, Part I, line 8, later, for information about a triggering event for a section 965(i) net tax liability.