(a) Rights and obligations of fiduciary. Every person acting for another person in a fiduciary capacity shall give notice thereof to the district director in writing. As soon as such notice is filed with the district director such fiduciary must, except as otherwise specifically provided, assume the powers, rights, duties, and privileges of the taxpayer with respect to the taxes imposed by the Code. If the person is acting as a fiduciary for a transferee or other person subject to the liability specified in section 6901, such fiduciary is required to assume the powers, rights, duties, and privileges of the transferee or other person under that section. The amount of the tax or liability is ordinarily not collectible from the personal estate of the fiduciary but is collectible from the estate of the taxpayer or from the estate of the transferee or other person subject to the liability specified in section 6901.

(b) Manner of notice—(1) Notices filed before April 24, 2002. This paragraph (b)(1) applies to notices filed before April 24, 2002. The notice shall be signed by the fiduciary, and shall be filed with the Internal Revenue Service office where the return of the person for whom the fiduciary is acting is required to be filed. The notice must state the name and address of the person for whom the fiduciary is acting, and the nature of the liability of such person; that is, whether it is a liability for tax, and, if so, the type of tax, the year or years involved, or a liability at law or in equity of a transferee of property of a taxpayer, or a liability of a fiduciary under section 3467 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (31 U.S.C. 192) in respect of the payment of any tax from the estate of the taxpayer. Satisfactory evidence of the authority of the fiduciary to act for any other person in a fiduciary capacity must be filed with and made a part of the notice. If the fiduciary capacity exists by order of court, a certified copy of the order may be regarded as satisfactory evidence. When the fiduciary capacity has terminated, the fiduciary, in order to be relieved of any further duty or liability as such, must file with the Internal Revenue Service office with whom the notice of fiduciary relationship was filed written notice that the fiduciary capacity has terminated as to him, accompanied by satisfactory evidence of the termination of the fiduciary capacity. The notice of termination should state the name and address of the person, if any, who has been substituted as fiduciary. Any written notice disclosing a fiduciary relationship which has been filed with the Commissioner under the Internal Revenue Code of 1939 or any prior revenue law shall be considered as sufficient notice within the meaning of section 6903. Any satisfactory evidence of the authority of the fiduciary to act for another person already filed with the Commissioner or district director need not be resubmitted.

(2) Notices filed on or after April 24, 2002. This paragraph (b)(2) applies to notices filed on or after April 24, 2002. The notice shall be signed by the fiduciary, and shall be filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center where the return of the person for whom the fiduciary is acting is required to be filed. The notice must state the name and address of the person for whom the fiduciary is acting, and the nature of the liability of such person; that is, whether it is a liability for tax, and if so, the type of tax, the year or years involved, or a liability at law or in equity of a transferee of property of a taxpayer, or a liability of a fiduciary under 31 U.S.C. 3713(b), in respect of the payment of any tax from the estate of the taxpayer. The fiduciary must retain satisfactory evidence of his or her authority to act for any other person in a fiduciary capacity as long as the evidence may become material in the administration of any internal revenue law.

(c) Where notice is not filed. If the notice of the fiduciary capacity described in paragraph (b) of this section is not filed with the district director before the sending of notice of a deficiency by registered mail or certified mail to the last known address of the taxpayer (see section 6212), or the last known address of the transferee or other person subject to liability (see section 6901(g)), no notice of the deficiency will be sent to the fiduciary. For further guidance regarding the definition of last known address, see §301.6212-2. In such a case the sending of the notice to the last known address of the taxpayer, transferee, or other person, as the case may be will be a sufficient compliance with the requirements of the Code, even though such taxpayer, transferee, or other person is deceased, or is under a legal disability, or, in the case of a corporation, has terminated its existence. Under such circumstances, if no petition is filed with the Tax Court of the United States within 90 days after the mailing of the notice (or within 150 days after mailing in the case of such a notice addressed to a person outside the States of the Union and the District of Columbia) to the taxpayer, transferee, or other person, the tax, or liability under section 6901, will be assessed immediately upon the expiration of such 90-day or 150-day period, and demand for payment will be made. See paragraph (a) of §301.6213-1 with respect to the expiration of such 90-day or 150-day period.

(d) Definition of fiduciary. The term “fiduciary” is defined in section 7701(a)(6) to mean a guardian, trustee, executor, administrator, receiver, conservator, or any person acting in any fiduciary capacity for any person.

(e) Applicability of other provisions. This section, relating to the provisions of section 6903, shall not be taken to abridge in any way the powers and duties of fiduciaries provided for in other sections of the Code.

[32 FR 15241, Nov. 3, 1967, as amended by T.D. 8939, 66 FR 2821, Jan. 12, 2001; T.D. 8989, 67 FR 20032, Apr. 24, 2002; T.D. 9040, 68 FR 4921, Jan. 31, 2003]