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Executor Checklist: What to Do After Someone Dies (US)
If a parent, partner or relative has died and you are looking after their affairs, this list is for you. It goes in rough order, from the first days to closing the estate. You do not have to do it all at once.
Rules for estates and probate are different in each state. This checklist is general information, not legal or tax advice. If the estate is large, owns a business or property in another state, or the family disagrees, a local probate lawyer can help.
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1. The first days
Ask one or two people to help you make the calls. You do not have to do this alone.
Check their papers at home, a safe, or ask their lawyer. Keep the original will safe and do not write on it.
The law requires funeral homes to give you written price lists. You can buy goods and services separately, and you can supply your own casket or urn. Source: FTC, Shopping for funeral services.
The funeral director usually reports the death if they have the Social Security number. If not, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit a local office. Reports are not taken online or by email. Social Security tells Medicare. Any benefit payment for the month of death has to be returned. Source: USA.gov, Report the death of a Social Security or Medicare beneficiary.
They come from the vital records office of the state where the death happened. You will need certified copies for Social Security and other agencies, banks, credit cards, life insurance and pensions. A photocopy may be enough for small things like a subscription. Source: USA.gov, How to get a certified copy of a death certificate.
Lock up, keep the keys together and take photos of valuable items. Do not give away or sell anything yet. Make sure pets are looked after.
Tell the home and car insurers about the death and ask whether cover continues while the home is empty. Watch for bills such as the mortgage and utilities.
Write down every call: the date, who you spoke to and what they said. Keep every receipt. It will save you a lot of time later.
2. The first two weeks
A will usually names an executor. If there is no will, the court may appoint an administrator, personal representative or universal successor. Source: FTC, Debts and deceased relatives.
Ask how to file the will and open the estate, and whether there is a simpler process for a small estate. Each state has its own rules.
These are often called letters testamentary or letters of administration. Banks and others will ask to see them. Order a few copies.
Many estates are simple. If yours is not, or you feel unsure, a local probate lawyer can explain your state's rules.
Bank and retirement statements, insurance policies, deeds, car titles, recent tax returns and bills. Keep an eye on the mail: statements show accounts you may not know about.
Ask what they need to process a claim. USA.gov says you will need a certified copy of the death certificate to claim life insurance or a pension. Source: USA.gov.
The VA if they had VA benefits, DFAS for a military retiree, and OPM for a federal employee or retiree. Source: USA.gov, Agencies to notify when someone dies.
Family members may qualify for survivor benefits. The USA.gov benefit finder can help you look.
3. The first one to three months
The IRS lists this as one of the first steps. You can apply online at IRS.gov/EIN, at no cost, or use Form SS-4. Online you usually get the number right away; by mail it takes about four weeks. Sources: IRS Publication 559, IRS, Get an employer identification number.
It tells the IRS that you are acting for the estate. File it once you have the information it asks for, including the EIN. Sources: IRS, About Form 56, IRS Publication 559.
Ask the bank what it needs. Bring the EIN, your court papers and a certified death certificate. Pay estate bills from this account only, and keep estate money apart from your own.
Report the death to them and to other financial companies the person used. Source: USA.gov, Agencies to notify when someone dies.
Include accounts, property, vehicles and valuables. The value on the date of death matters for taxes: the IRS says the basis of inherited property is generally its fair market value on that date. Source: IRS, Gifts and inheritances. If a spreadsheet helps, we make an estate inventory spreadsheet. Our free estate inventory checklist goes through each kind of asset.
Mortgage, loans, credit cards, medical bills and anything else owed. Ask for statements in writing.
Your state may require a written notice or a notice in a newspaper, and may set a deadline for claims. Ask the probate court or your lawyer.
Debts are generally paid from the estate. Family members usually do not have to pay them, unless, for example, they co-signed a loan or shared a credit card account. It is illegal for a debt collector to suggest you must pay from your own money. Sources: CFPB, Does a person's debt go away when they die?, FTC, Debts and deceased relatives.
Contact the state motor vehicles office to cancel the driver's license and transfer car titles, and the local election office to cancel voter registration. You can return the passport to the State Department to be cancelled. Then contact utilities, memberships and subscriptions. Source: USA.gov, Agencies to notify when someone dies.
Write down every expense, with the date, the amount and a receipt. If you pay something for the estate yourself, keep proof so you can ask to be paid back.
4. Settling the estate
Your state may set the order in which debts are paid. If there is not enough money for everything, ask the court or a lawyer before paying anyone.
Keep paying insurance and property taxes, and keep the home in good repair.
Use Form 1040 or 1040-SR and include income up to the date of death. It is generally due on the date it would have been due anyway (for a calendar-year taxpayer, generally April 15 of the year after the death). Write "DECEASED", the person's name and the date of death across the top. To claim a refund, use Form 1310. Sources: IRS, File the final income tax returns of a deceased person, IRS Publication 559.
Every domestic estate with gross income of $600 or more during a tax year must file Form 1041. It must also be filed if any beneficiary is a nonresident alien. Sources: IRS Publication 559, Instructions for Form 1041.
Most families will want a tax professional's view on this. IRS Publication 559 lists the forms an estate may need.
Get an appraisal for a house or valuable items if you need one. Keep the paperwork for every sale.
5. Closing the estate
Show what came in, what was paid out, and what is left. Your court may ask for it in a set form. Sharing it early can prevent misunderstandings.
Once the debts are paid, the remaining property goes to the heirs or beneficiaries, as the will or state law says. Source: IRS Publication 559.
It records what each person received and when.
Do this after the last bill is paid and the last share is given out.
Form 56 is used both to start and to end a fiduciary relationship with the IRS. The first notice stays in effect until you file another one. Sources: IRS, About Form 56, IRS Publication 559.
How this works depends on your state. The court or your lawyer can tell you what to file.
Questions can come up after the estate is closed. Ask your tax professional how long to keep them.
How this checklist was made
Where the facts come from
Every rule, form or number on this page comes from an official US government page, and each step links to its source. Where we could not confirm something on an official page, we left it out or say "ask the court or your lawyer". The steps without a source are plain, practical suggestions.
- IRS Publication 559, Survivors, Executors and Administrators (the edition for 2025 returns)
- IRS, File the final income tax returns of a deceased person
- IRS, About Form 56 and Instructions for Form 1041
- USA.gov, Agencies to notify when someone dies, Report the death of a Social Security or Medicare beneficiary and How to get a certified copy of a death certificate
- FTC, Debts and deceased relatives and Shopping for funeral services
- CFPB, Does a person's debt go away when they die?
What this checklist does not do
- It does not cover your state's probate rules, deadlines or court forms. Those differ from state to state, so check with your probate court.
- It does not tell you whether the estate owes estate tax. Ask a tax professional.
- It is not legal or tax advice, and it does not replace a lawyer when the estate is complicated.
Frequently asked questions
What does an executor do?
The IRS describes the main duties of a personal representative (an executor or administrator) as collecting all of the person's assets, paying their creditors, and then giving what is left to the heirs or beneficiaries. Along the way the executor also files the person's final tax returns. Your state's law and, where there is one, the probate court set the exact steps.
Do I have to pay the person's debts with my own money?
Usually not. The FTC says family members usually don't have to pay a deceased relative's debts from their own money, and the CFPB says debts are generally paid from the money or property in the estate. There are exceptions, for example if you co-signed a loan, held a joint credit card account, or are a spouse in a state whose law makes you responsible. If you are unsure, talk to a lawyer.
Does the estate need to file a tax return?
Two kinds of return are common. The person's final income tax return (Form 1040 or 1040-SR) covers their income up to the date of death. Separately, the IRS says every domestic estate with gross income of $600 or more during a tax year must file Form 1041, and so must an estate with a beneficiary who is a nonresident alien, whatever its income.
How many death certificates do I need?
There is no fixed number. USA.gov says you need certified copies for things like telling Social Security and other agencies, closing or transferring bank and credit card accounts, and claiming life insurance or a pension. A photocopy may be enough for smaller tasks, such as cancelling a subscription. Certified copies come from the vital records office of the state where the death happened.
Who tells Social Security that someone has died?
Usually the funeral director, if they have the person's Social Security number. If not, you report it yourself by phone at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or at a local Social Security office. Social Security does not take death reports online or by email. A benefit payment for the month of death has to be returned.
Sources read and checked on 5 November 2026. Rules change, so check the official pages and your state's rules before you act. This checklist is independent and is not affiliated with the IRS, the Social Security Administration or any government. See the disclaimer.
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