Yes, there is an alternative to the Estate Tax Closing Letter. According to Notice 2017-12, an account transcript issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can be used in lieu of the Estate Tax Closing Letter (Letter 627). An account transcript is a computer-generated report that provides current account data, including the return received date, payment history, refund history, penalties assessed, interest assessed, the balance due with accruals, and the date on which the examination was closed. Specifically, an account transcript that includes transaction code "421" and the explanation "Closed examination of tax return" indicates that the IRS's examination of the estate tax return has been completed and is closed.
Estates and their authorized representatives can request an account transcript by filing Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return, or by using the Transcript Delivery Service (TDS) available on IRS.gov. The account transcript serves as the functional equivalent of an estate tax closing letter, confirming that the IRS examination of the estate tax return is closed.
Sources:
Notice 2017-12
