If a member of the Armed Forces dies, a surviving spouse or personal representative handles duties such as filing any tax returns and claims for refund of withheld or estimated tax. A personal representative can be an executor, administrator, or anyone who is in charge of the decedent's assets.

This section discusses the special tax provisions that apply to individuals who:

1. Die while serving in a combat zone or from wounds, disease, or injury incurred while serving in a combat zone, or
2. Die from wounds or injury incurred in a terroristic or military action outside the United States while a U.S. employee.

For other information concerning decedents, get Publication 559.

Combat Zone Forgiveness

If a member of the U.S. Armed Forces dies while in active service in a combat zone or from wounds, disease, or other injury received in a combat zone, the decedent's income tax liability is forgiven for the tax year in which death occurred and for any earlier tax year ending on or after the first day the member served in a combat zone in active service. Any forgiven tax liability that has already been paid will be refunded, and any unpaid tax liability at the date of death will be forgiven.

In addition, any unpaid taxes for prior years will be forgiven and any prior year taxes paid after the date of death will be refunded.

This provision also applies to a member of the Armed Forces serving outside the combat zone if the service:

1. Was in direct support of military operations in the zone, and
2. Qualified the member for special military pay for duty subject to hostile fire or imminent danger.

For a description of the combat zone, see Combat Zone, earlier.

Missing status. The date of death for a member of the Armed Forces who was in a missing status (missing in action or prisoner of war) is the date his or her name is removed from missing status for military pay purposes. This is true even if death actually occurred earlier.

Terroristic or Military Action Forgiveness

Tax liability is forgiven for an individual who:

1. Is a military or civilian U.S. employee at death, and
2. Dies from wounds or injury incurred while a U.S. employee in a terroristic or military action outside the United States.

The forgiveness applies to the tax year death occurred and for any earlier tax year beginning with the year before the year in which the wounds or injury occurred. A terroristic or military action is any terroristic activity outside the United States primarily directed against the United States or its allies or any military action outside the United States involving the U.S. Armed Forces resulting from violence or aggression against the United States or its allies.

Any multinational force in which the United States participates is considered an ally of the United States.

Example. Army Private John Kane died in 2000 of wounds incurred outside the United States in a terroristic attack in 1999. His income tax liability is forgiven for all tax years from 1998 through 2000. Refunds are allowed for the tax years for which the period for filing a claim for refund has not ended.

Claims for Tax Forgiveness

If either of the tax-forgiveness provisions applies to a prior year's tax that has been paid and the period for filing a refund claim has not ended, the tax will be refunded. If any tax is still due, it will be canceled. Generally, the period for filing a claim for credit or refund of income tax is 3 years from the time the return was filed or 2 years from the time the tax was paid, whichever is later.

If death occurred in a combat zone or from wounds, disease, or injury incurred in a combat zone, the deadline for filing a claim for credit or refund is extended using the rules discussed later under Extension of Deadline.

Procedures for claiming forgiveness. If the individual died in a combat zone or as a result of a terroristic or military action outside the United States, use the following procedures for filing a claim for income tax forgiveness.

1. File Form 1040 if a tax return has not been filed for the tax year. Form W-2 must accompany the return.
2. File Form 1040X if a tax return has been filed. A separate Form 1040X must be filed for each year in question.

These returns and claims must be filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center, P.O. Box 12267, Covington, KY 41012, Attn: Stop 537.

All returns and claims must be identified by writing "Kosovo Operation--KIA," "Desert Storm--KIA," or "Former Yugoslavia--KIA" in bold letters on the top of page 1 of the return or claim. On Forms 1040 and 1040X, the phrase "Kosovo Operation--KIA," "Desert Storm--KIA," or "Former Yugoslavia--KIA" must be written on the line for "total tax." If the individual was killed in a terroristic action outside the United States, put "KITA" on the front of the return and on the line for "total tax."

An attachment that includes a computation of the decedent's tax liability before any amount is forgiven and the amount that is to be forgiven should accompany any return or claim. For joint returns, see Joint returns, later.

Necessary documents. The following documents must accompany all returns and claims for refund:

1. Form 1310, Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer, and
2. A certification from the Department of Defense or the Department of State.

For military and civilian employees of the Department of Defense, certification must be made by the Department on Form DoD 1300, REPORT OF CASUALTY. For civilian employees of all other agencies, certification must be a letter signed by the Director General of the Foreign Service, Department of State, or his or her delegate. The certification must include the deceased individual's name and social security number, the date of injury, the date of death, and a statement that the individual died in a combat zone or from a terroristic or military action outside the United States. If the individual died as a result of a terroristic or military action, the statement must also include the fact that the individual was a U.S. employee at the date of injury and at the date of death.

If the certification has been received but there is not enough tax information to file a timely claim for refund, file Form 1040X with Form 1310. Include a statement saying that an amended claim will be filed as soon as the necessary tax information is available.

Joint returns. Only the decedent's part of the joint income tax liability is eligible for the refund or tax forgiveness. To determine the decedent's part, the person filing the claim must:

1. Figure the income tax for which the decedent would have been liable as if a separate return had been filed,
2. Figure the income tax for which the spouse would have been liable as if a separate return had been filed, and
3. Multiply the joint tax liability by a fraction. The top number of the fraction is the amount in (1), above. The bottom number of the fraction is the total of (1) and (2).

The amount in (3) is the decedent's tax liability that is eligible for the refund or tax forgiveness. If you are unable to complete this process, you should attach a statement of all income and deductions, indicating the part that belongs to each spouse. The IRS will make the proper allocation.

Residents of community property states. If the member of the Armed Forces was domiciled in a community property state and the spouse reported half the military pay on a separate return, the spouse can get a refund of taxes paid on his or her share of the pay for the years involved. The forgiveness of unpaid tax on the military pay would also apply to the half owed by the spouse for the years involved.

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