what triggers an estate tax return 
an estate that pulls in more than 600 in annual gross income must file form 1041 u s income tax return for estates and trusts the estate may also have to pay quarterly estimated taxes 18the bottom lineirs form 706 also known as the united states estate and generation skipping transfer tax return is used to report the value of a deceased individual s estate for federal estate tax purposes it includes information about the decedent s assets deductions and beneficiaries it s used by the irs to calculate any estate taxes which may be subject to an estate tax exclusion that changes dollar amounts each year 