Re: Taxpayer died in 2024. How do you get estimates to post to spouse tax ID when paid electronically through Lacerte?

CECIII · ‎07-28-2025

Setup estimates to be drafted as done in years past, apparently the estimates are being credited to the deceased taxpayer's SSN as spouse received a letter from the IRS requesting future payments be designated under spouse tax ID. Cannot find the setting apply estimated payments to spouse Tax ID.

Karl

The only way I know is to switch the order of taxpayer/spouse. It has to be switched manually, I believe. Separately, I was told that in the year of death, the IRS actually does want it switched so that the surviving spouse is in the primary taxpayer spot. I haven't had issues with the handful I've done previously, leaving the decedent in the taxpayer spot, but I'll be switching it going forward. And I definitely would be switching it if auto-debiting estimates through Lacerte.

So for yours, because it's presumably filed and 2025 estimates are scheduled, you or the surviving spouse would have to call the number Lacerte gives you on the filing letter to cancel the upcoming payments, and then re-schedule the payments through IRS DirectPay in the spouse's SSN.

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