My Mother passed away around May of 2011 and it just occurred to me that I probably have to file her tax return. I'm the sole heir and executor of her will, so if it needs to be done, it will need to be done by me. She was a retired school teacher and her only source of income was her pension. She had a lot of medical bills, some of it covered by medicare and perhaps some other insurance. I'm not really sure, and there is no way I could round up all the various bills and receipts. I can get her W2 from the Teachers Retirement organization and do an EZ I guess. Anyone with suggestions on how I should proceed, or if I indeed need to file her return?
Try looking at this site, and the links therein, for possible answers: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc356.html
You do need to file a return. BTW, it is a 1099-R, not a W-2 for her pension. They may need you to fax proof of your being the executor, but it shouldn't be a problem. You may also need to file a 1041/706 for the estate if she left anything that didn't directly transfer to you.
