File the final income tax returns of a deceased person for current and prior years, pay any balance due and claim the refund. File an estate income tax return.For paper returns, the filer should write the word deceased, the deceased person's name and the date of death across the top. Use Form GA5347 to claim a refund on behalf of a deceased taxpayer. Here's what you need to know about the deceased's final tax return, reporting income and deductions, inheritance and more. You'll need the person's Social Security number and certified copies of their death certificate for most agencies and programs. Social Security and Medicare. The worksheet will help you correctly determine the income to report on the decedent's final return and on the return for either the estate or a beneficiary. You may have some relief from that debt. Under federal law, the statute of limitations for collecting taxes is ten years from the date the tax was assessed.