Handling Tax Affairs After a Death: What You Need to Know (July 2025)

Relevant For:

Executors, next of kin, or administrators managing the estate of a deceased person in Australia.

Key Points:

• Notify the ATO and confirm your role as the legal personal representative (LPR) with a death certificate, probate, or letters of administration.
• Only an LPR (executor or administrator) can fully manage the deceased's tax affairs.
• Lodge the final “date of death” tax return and check for any previous years’ obligations.
• If the estate earns income (e.g. rent, dividends), lodge a trust tax return for the estate.
• Cancel any tax registrations (e.g. ABN, GST) and only distribute assets after all tax matters are settled.

Full Article:

When someone dies, managing their