THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 6, 2026 Page 9 Saugonians named to Salem State University Dean’s List The following local residents have been named to the 2025 fall semester Dean’s List at Salem State University: Kyera Edeman (’27), Hasna Hassan (’27), Krista Castle (’26), Nathan DiPesa (’27), Sarah Elwell (’27), Diane Jubeli (’26), Eden Mejias (’27), Aiden Muse (’27), Julia Federico (’26), Abigail Enwright (’28), Tyler Dockerty (’28). THE DECEDENT’S FINAL TAX RETURN P Sa nr Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller Tools to Help You Find the Perfect Place to Retire ursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 6012(b) (1), an individual income tax return must be fi led by the Personal Representative of the estate or by a person charged with the property of the decedent. The tax return must be fi led by the usual due date of the return which is April 15th following the end of the calendar year. The tax return must be fi led at the Internal Revenue Service center associated with the decedent’s residence at the time of death. There is no continuing obligation to make estimated income tax payments on behalf of the decedent (assuming the decedent was making quarterly estimated income tax payments during the calendar year of his or her death). The IRS will issue a refund check on behalf of the deceased taxpayer so long as Form 1310 (Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer) is attached to Form 1040. The IRS’s new policy eff ective for calendar year 2025 is to no longer issue paper refund checks. All refunds must be direct deposited. Once a single taxpayer has died, his or her bank account will be frozen. The IRS will then issue a paper refund check and mail to the responthe sale takes place no later than two years after the date of death of the fi rst spouse. The principal residence must have been owned by at least one of the spouses and used as the principal residence by both spouses prior to the death of the fi rst spouse. A tax return is required sible person. Form 1310 is not necessary if there is a surviving spouse fi ling a married fi ling joint income tax return. A “married fi ling joint” tax return may be fi led in the year of one of the spouse’s death as well as in the event both spouses die during the calendar year. A surviving spouse may use the “married fi ling joint” tax tables for two years after the death of the fi rst spouse even if the surviving spouse remains unmarried, pays for more than half of the cost of maintaining a home that is the principal residence for the entire year of a child who qualifi es as a dependent on the surviving spouse’s tax return. In the case of a sale of the principal residence by the surviving spouse, the surviving spouse may exclude $500,000 of capital gain (as opposed to $250,000 of capital gain allowed for a single person) if to be fi led on behalf of the decedent if the gross income equals or exceeds the new standard deduction. For 2025, the new standard deduction for a single person is $15,750. The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the deduction for personal exemptions starting in calendar year 2018. A tax return for the estate must be fi led if in any calendar year the gross income of the estate is $600 or more. The tax form to be fi led is Form 1041. A tax return for a trust needs to be fi led if the trust has any “taxable” income or has “gross” income of $600 or more, regardless of how much of that $600 in income is “taxable” income. A trust will also fi le using Form 1041. Joseph D. Cataldo is an estate planning/elder law attorney, Certifi ed Public Accountant, Certifi ed Financial Planner, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a masters degree in taxation. Dear Savvy Senior, What resources can you recommend for researching good places to retire in the U.S.? My husband and I are interested in relocating to a warmer climate when we retire next year. Looking to Relocate Dear Looking, It’s exciting to think about relocating in retirement! Whether you’re considering seasonal escapes or a permanent change, there are a wide variety of digital resources that can help you fi nd and research new locations. Here are some tips and tools to help you get started. Where to Retire? Deciding where to relocate when you retire is a big decision. There are many factors to think about to ensure the move supports your lifestyle, fi nancial goals, and overall well-being. To help you identify some good retirement locations you need to consider things like cost of living, climate, taxes, health care, housing, crime, access to social and recreational activities, access to transportation and proximity to family and friends. If you’re at the beginning of your search, a good starting point is BestPlaces.net. This site compiles demographic data from numerous reliable sources, updates it regularly and lets you easily compare cities using diff erent criteria, such as housing cost, climate, crime, religious practice, voting patterns and education level. They even off er a 10-question “Where is the best place for me to live?” quiz, which may suggest some locations you may never have thought of. There are also news and fi nancial publications like U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, WalletHub, Bankrate and The Motley Fool that publish “best places to retire” ranking lists on their websites each year. These can give you an idea of popular retirement locations based on diff erent sets of criteria. Once you identify a few good spots, here are some additional resources that can help you dig a little deeper. Cost of living: Aff ordability is often the No. 1 factor when deciding where to relocate. To research and compare the cost of living from your current location to where you would like to move, use the previously mentioned BestPlaces.net, the Economic Policy Institute Family Budget Calculator at EPI.org/resources/budget and/or Bankrate’s cost of living calculator at Bankrate.com/real-estate/ cost-of-living-calculator. And, because housing is a big expense, you can take a deeper dive into these costs at Zillow.com and Realtor.com. Taxes: Some states are more tax friendly than others. To investigate how states treat retirees when it comes to income, sales, property and other taxes, see Kiplinger tax guide at Kiplinger. com – search “Taxes on Retirees: A State-by-State Guide.” Crime rate: To evaluate how safe a community or area is, the FBI Crime Data Explorer (cde.ucr. cjis.gov) allows you to explore crime statistics at the national, state, and local levels. Climate: You can fi nd U.S. climate/weather information at National Centers for Environmental Information at NCEI.noaa.gov. And to research climate change factors and the risks of extreme temperatures, wildfi res, fl oods, hurricanes, severe storms, earthquakes and drought in different locations, use ClimateCheck. com and FEMA (Hazards.fema. gov/nri/map). Health care: If you’re enrolled or planning to enroll in original Medicare, check the coverage and availability of providers in your new location. Search by ZIP code for health care providers and facilities at Medicare.gov/care-compare, and check star ratings for quality of care. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan and you move out of the coverage area, you’ll need to fi nd a new plan in your new area. Transportation: If you plan to travel much, or expect frequent visits from your kids or grandkids, convenient access to an airport or train station is a big advantage. Once you have narrowed down your choices, spend a couple weeks in each location at diff erent times of the year so you can get a feel for the seasonal weather changes, and so you can carefully weigh the pros and cons of living there. You may fi nd that you like the area more as a vacation spot than as a year-round residence. It’s also a good idea to rent for a year before buying a home or making a commitment to a retirement community. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior. org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. nior ior
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