Ian Bryzek, CPA
Intellectual property income after death
Patents, copyrights, trademarks, and software licenses can keep producing income after death.
Gather registration numbers, license agreements, and payment histories. Valuation of IP, if needed, is a specialist task.
Estate administration and tax reporting both need a clear list of IP assets.
What to keep with the file
Estate administration and tax reporting both need a clear list of IP assets.
What to do next
Build an IP asset schedule with agreements and payment contacts before returns are prepared.
What to gather
- IP registrations or application numbers
- License and royalty agreements
- Payment history
- Counsel inventory of IP assets
- Tax forms from licensees
Who usually handles what
- Ian can organize the tax reporting question and the supporting records.
- An estate attorney handles title, authority, trust interpretation, and beneficiary rights.
A practical next step
Build an IP asset schedule with agreements and payment contacts before returns are prepared.
Questions about title, probate authority, trust meaning, or a beneficiary's legal rights belong with an estate attorney. Start with the Professionals directory: /professionals/
Related guides
This is general tax information, not tax or legal advice. Outcomes depend on the documents, ownership, timing, and law that apply to the particular facts.