How can we help?
search-icon
Popular Topics:     Import Options  •   Refund Status  •   Amend Return  •   File Extension
Help Center>
Other Income - Estate Executor/Administrator Income
1

Payments received for being an executor of an estate are considered taxable income. The information below will help to determine if this income is subject to self-employment tax or not and where to enter it in your TaxAct® return.

Per IRS Publication 559 Survivors, Executors, and Administrators, page 4:

Fees Received by Personal Representatives

All personal representatives must include fees paid to them from an estate in their gross income. If you aren't in the trade or business of being an executor (for instance, you are the executor of a friend's or relative's estate), report these fees on your Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 8. If you are in the trade or business of being an executor, report fees received from the estate as self-employment income on Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business, of your Form 1040.

If the estate operates a trade or business and you, as executor, actively participate in the trade or business while fulfilling your duties, any fees you receive related to the operation of the trade or business must be reported as self-employment income on Schedule C of your Form 1040.


To enter a description and an amount for Line 8 of Federal Schedule 1 (Form 1040 or 1040-SR) Additional Income and Adjustments to Income, go to our Recoveries as Income - Property Tax Refund or Rebate FAQ.

When you print your return, the text "See Attached" will print to the left of Schedule 1 (Form 1040 or 1040-SR) Line 8. An attached sheet will print with the return titled "Other Income - Supporting Details for Schedule 1 (Form 1040), Line 8" which will print both the description and amount that was entered for Line 8.

Conversely, if you need to report this income so that self-employment tax is assessed, you can enter it on Schedule C (Form 1040) Profit or Loss From Business in the TaxAct program; go to our Schedule C - Entering Sole Proprietorship in Program FAQ.


Note that any link in the information above is updated each year automatically and will take you to the most recent version of the webpage or document at the time it is accessed.