Updated October 18, 2026. Quick answer: Schedule F is the catch-all schedule for property that belongs in the gross estate but is not on Schedules A through E, G or H. Business interests, digital assets, household goods, vehicles and insurance on another person’s life all go here. It is always filed, and its questions are answered even when no assets are listed.
What goes on Schedule F
“You must complete Schedule F (Form 706) and file it with the return.” The listing rule is “list all items that must be included in the gross estate that are not reported on any other schedule”.
Every schedule opens with the same caution. “If any assets to which the special rule of Regulations section 20.2010-2(a)(7)(ii) applies are reported on this schedule, do not enter any value in the last three columns.” It then points the reader to the instructions for Part V, item 10, which explain how to estimate and report the value of those assets.
The items the instructions name
The list includes “Interests in business”, “Any interest in an Archer medical savings account (MSA) or health savings account (HSA), unless such interest passes to the surviving spouse”, “Insurance on the life of another (obtain and attach Form 712, for each policy)”, “Royalties”, “Leaseholds”, “Judgments”, “Reversionary or remainder interests”, “Shares in trust funds (attach a copy of the trust instrument)”, “Household goods and personal effects, including wearing apparel”, “Farm products and growing crops”, “Livestock”, “Farm machinery”, and “Automobiles”.
Digital assets are named too: “Digital assets are any digital representations of value that are recorded on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger or any similar technology.” “digital assets include nonfungible tokens” and “virtual currencies, such as cryptocurrencies and stablecoins.”
For single premium or paid-up life policies, the note reads “In these situations, report the full economic value of the policy on Schedule F (Form 706).” Life insurance on the decedent’s own life is on the Schedule D page.
Business interests
“If the decedent owned any interest in a partnership or unincorporated business, attach a statement of assets and liabilities for the valuation date and for the 5 years before the valuation date.” “Be sure to include the EIN of the entity.” “You must account for goodwill in the valuation.”
“All partnership interests should be reported on Schedule F (Form 706) unless the partnership interest is jointly owned.” Jointly owned interests go on the Schedule E page. “If real estate is owned by a sole proprietorship, it should be reported on Schedule F (Form 706) and not on Schedule A (Form 706).”
When a valuation discount was taken: “attach a statement that lists the line number and item number from Schedule F (Form 706) and identifies the total effective discount taken”. The Part IV question behind it reads “was the value of any interest owned discounted on this estate tax return?”
Collectibles, claims and QTIP property
“If the decedent owned at the date of death works of art or items with collectible value” the instruction is to provide “full details on line 4.” For high-value items the instruction is to attach an appraisal: “is valued at more than $3,000, attach an appraisal by an expert under oath”.
For a decedent who was a surviving spouse, “the decedent may have received qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) from the predeceased spouse”. The instruction is “List such property on Schedule F (Form 706).” “the full value of the QTIP property is includible in the estate, even though the qualifying income interest terminated at death.” The gift tax return behind such an election is explained on the Form 709 who must file page.
Where the number comes from
Values come from appraisals, statements and entity records for each item. The Part V instructions put Schedule F on the list that is always attached: “Answer its questions even if you report no assets on it.” Gifts left to charity are a different topic, covered on the charitable bequests page.
Where it goes next
Each schedule feeds one item of Part V, the recapitulation, on the form. The form’s caption for this schedule reads “Total other miscellaneous property. Schedule F, line 7”. The Part V instructions list which schedules to attach: “Schedule F (Form 706). Answer its questions even if you report no assets on it.” The same instructions say “If the gross estate does not contain any assets of the type specified by a given item, enter zero for that item.” They add “Entering zero for any of items 1 through 9 is a statement by the executor, made under penalties of perjury, that the gross estate does not contain any includible assets covered by that item.”
For the alternate value column, the Part V instructions say not to enter amounts there “unless you elected alternate valuation on Part III, line 1.” That election is explained on the Part III elections page and the alternate valuation date page, and the recapitulation is covered on the Parts 4 and 5 page. The return itself is explained on the Form 706 page.
Edition and line numbers
This page reads the Form 706 revision dated August 2025 and the Instructions for Form 706 revision dated July 2026. They are the current files irs.gov served on 2026-10-18, byte-identical to the archived copies used here. The instructions state “For decedents dying after December 31, 2025.” The form itself says “To be filed for decedents dying after December 31, 2024.” Check the revision date printed on your Form 706 and the instruction edition for the year of death, and use the line numbers on that revision.
Common mistakes
- Filing without Schedule F because no assets are left over. The instructions say “Answer its questions even if you report no assets on it.”
- Putting a sole proprietorship’s real estate on Schedule A. The instruction is “it should be reported on Schedule F (Form 706) and not on Schedule A (Form 706).”
- Leaving out digital assets. The instructions define them as “any digital representations of value that are recorded on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger or any similar technology.”
Related: Form 706, Form 709 who must file, and charitable bequests.
Sources
- Instructions for Form 706 (Rev. July 2026): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i706.pdf
- Form 706 (Rev. August 2025), United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f706.pdf
Read from the IRS documents linked above on October 18, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the account provider or the IRS is the right place to confirm anything consequential.