Updated October 18, 2026. Quick answer: Part IV of Schedule J (Form 1041) splits the accumulation distribution among the beneficiaries. Each beneficiary gets a Part IV, with their name and identifying number and their share of the throwback year amounts. The beneficiary then carries the totals to Form 4970. The shares come from the trust’s records of who received what.
What Part IV asks for
The form titles this part “Allocation to Beneficiary” and opens with “Note: Be sure to complete Form 4970, Tax on Accumulation Distribution of Trusts.” It asks for the “Beneficiary’s name” and identifying number and address. Lines 32 to 36 are each captioned “Throwback year” and line 37 is captioned “Total. Add lines 32 through 36.” The columns split out the beneficiary’s share of lines 13, 14 and 16 from Parts II and III.
One Part IV per beneficiary
“Complete Part IV for each beneficiary.” “If the accumulation distribution is allocated to more than one beneficiary, attach an additional copy of Schedule J with Part IV completed for each additional beneficiary.” And: “Give each beneficiary a copy of their respective Part IV information.”
If more throwback years are involved than the form has room for: “If more than 5 throwback years are involved, use another Schedule J, completing Parts II and III for each additional throwback year.”
Nonresident alien beneficiaries
“If the beneficiary is a nonresident alien individual or a foreign corporation, see section 667(e) about retaining the character of the amounts distributed to determine the amount of the U.S. withholding tax.” This page does not go further than that cross-reference; the trustee’s preparer should read section 667(e).
Form 4970 and Schedule K-1
“The beneficiary uses Form 4970 to figure the tax on the distribution.” The form sends the total there: “Enter here and on the appropriate” lines of Form 4970. The instructions add that the beneficiary “also uses Form 4970 for the section 667(b)(6) tax adjustment if an accumulation distribution is subject to estate or GST tax.”
Part IV is separate from the Schedule K-1 the beneficiary receives. “Use Schedule K-1 (Form 1041) to report the beneficiary’s share of income, deductions, and credits from a trust or a decedent’s estate.” The boxes are explained on the Schedule K-1 (Form 1041) boxes explained page.
What to enter and where it comes from
The identifying details come from the trust’s beneficiary records, and the amounts by throwback year come from the allocation worked out in Parts II and III. Nothing in Part IV is a new calculation; it divides the earlier results by beneficiary.
Where it goes next
The beneficiary takes the Part IV copy to Form 4970. The schedule as a whole is explained on the Schedule J (Form 1041) page, and the trust’s return is on the Form 1041 for estates page.
Edition and line numbers
This page reads Schedule J (Form 1041) for 2025 and the Instructions for Form 1041 for 2025. Those are the current files irs.gov served on 2026-10-18. The form is captioned “Part I Accumulation Distribution in 2025” and each page of the instructions carries the footer “Instructions for Form 1041 (2025)”. Check the revision date printed on your own Schedule J and use that revision’s line numbers, because a different revision can number or word its lines differently.
Common mistakes
- Completing Part IV once for several beneficiaries. The instructions say “Complete Part IV for each beneficiary.”
- Not giving beneficiaries their information. The instructions say “Give each beneficiary a copy of their respective Part IV information.”
- Skipping the beneficiary’s own form. The instructions say “The beneficiary uses Form 4970 to figure the tax on the distribution.”
Related: Schedule J (Form 1041), Schedule K-1 (Form 1041) boxes explained, Schedule J Parts II and III, and Form 1041 for estates.
Sources
- Instructions for Form 1041 and Schedules A, B, G, J, and K-1 (2025): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1041.pdf
- Schedule J (Form 1041), Accumulation Distribution for Certain Complex Trusts (2025): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1041sj.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.