Q: Is my widowed mother still responsible for back taxes on my deceased father's sale of inherited land?
My father inherited land, which he sold in 2017 but did not pay the tax at the time of sale. The IRS charged these taxes in 2018, which my parents were paying at $200/month. There is still over $3,000 owing. My father died in April 2019. Is my mother still responsible for paying this tax?
A:
It's going to depend based on filing status,potential innocent spouse defense, and possibly other factors.
Short answer is it depends. You should retain counsel to review the matter and deal with the IRS directly to challenge the tax assessed or work out a plan to resolve the amounts owed.
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