How Do I File Taxes for a Deceased Person in Louisiana?

Louisiana requires a final state income tax return for the decedent alongside the federal Form 1040; a federal estate tax return (Form 706) is required only for estates above $15,000,000.

State

Approximate Estate Value

Estate Earns Income

YesNo

Date of Death

Two returns are due.

IRS Form 1040 and IT-540.

Federal

Final income tax return

A final federal income tax return is required for income earned from January 1 through the date of death.

Form: IRS Form 1040
Due: April 15 following year of death

Write "DECEASED," the decedent's name, and the date of death across the top of the return. If filing jointly with a surviving spouse, include both incomes. Attach Form 1310 to claim a refund, unless you are the surviving spouse filing a joint return or a court-appointed personal representative attaching a copy of the court certificate to the original return.

IRS Form 1040 File online

Louisiana

Final income tax return

A final state return is required for income earned through the date of death.

Form: IT-540
Due: May 15 following the year of death (Louisiana uses May 15, not April 15) — La. R.S. 47:103

Louisiana's individual deadline is May 15, not April 15: returns "shall be made and filed with the secretary at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on or before the fifteenth day of May, following the close of the calendar year" (La. R.S. 47:103).

IT-540 File online

Tax clearance

No tax clearance is required in Louisiana

No tax clearance or state death tax receipt is required before distributing an estate. The inheritance tax was repealed (Acts 2008, No. 822) and, effective January 1, 2012, LDR issues no inheritance tax receipts regardless of the date of death.

Not required

Federal estate income tax return: IRS Form 1041 is only required if the estate earns $600 in gross income or more during administration.
Federal estate tax return: The estate value ($0) is below the federal exemption of $15,000,000. IRS Form 706 is generally not required.
Louisiana estate income tax return: A fiduciary return is only required if the estate earns income above the filing threshold (Any ONE of the following (La. R.S. 47:162): (1) net income of the estate or trust for the taxable year is $2,500 or more; (2) gross income for the taxable year is $6,000 or more, regardless of the amount of net income; or (3) any beneficiary of the estate or trust is a nonresident of Louisiana. Applies to every resident estate/trust and every nonresident estate/trust deriving income from Louisiana sources.).

General information about tax filing requirements after a death, not tax or legal advice. Consult a licensed tax professional for tax questions. Data verified Sep 15, 2026

At minimum, a final federal income tax return (Form 1040) for income earned through the date of death, and Louisiana requires a final state income tax return (IT-540) as well. If the estate earns income during administration, a federal fiduciary return (Form 1041) and a Louisiana fiduciary return (IT-541) may also be required.

The final federal income tax return is due April 15 following year of death. The final Louisiana return is due May 15 following the year of death (Louisiana uses May 15, not April 15) — La. R.S. 47:103. The Louisiana fiduciary return is due May 15 for a calendar-year return.

No. No Louisiana estate or inheritance tax is payable for a death today: the state keeps death-tax provisions on its books that are inoperative for current deaths, so nothing is due. The tax filings after a death are the income tax returns (the final return and, where the estate earns income, the estate income tax return). Only the federal estate tax applies, and only to an estate above $15,000,000.

Yes. Estate size does not change the final income tax return: a final Form 1040 is filed whatever the estate is worth if the decedent had income. What a smaller estate avoids is the federal estate tax return (Form 706), due 9 months after date of death (6-month extension available) and required only above $15,000,000.

Tax Filing After Death in Louisiana

After a death in Louisiana, both federal and state tax returns must be filed. A final income tax return covers the deceased's income through the date of death, and a separate fiduciary return may be needed if the estate earns income during administration. A federal estate tax return (Form 706) is required only for estates above the federal exemption of $15,000,000.

Louisiana currently collects no state estate or inheritance tax; the death-tax statutes still on its books compute to zero for current deaths. Tax filing after death focuses on income tax obligations — the final return and, where the estate earns income, a fiduciary return.

Filing deadlines depend on the type of return. The final Louisiana income tax return is due May 15 following the year of death (Louisiana uses May 15, not April 15) — La. R.S. 47:103. The Louisiana estate settlement plan tracks all deadlines in order.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated September 20, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from Louisiana statutes and official state code. How we research.

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