What this stage is for
This is the closeout stage: final tax, final accounts, final archive.
The administration period is the time from death until the estate is fully settled.
Step-by-step in Estate Suite
- Use Ledger to track all post-death income and costs by tax year.
- Check current HMRC reporting thresholds and decide if full estate tax reporting is required.
- Store submissions, references, and confirmations in Documents.
- Confirm beneficiary distributions and ledger balances reconcile.
- Generate final records from Exports and keep a secure archive copy.
- Mark the estate complete only after tax, accounts, and records all align.
Current threshold reminder
GOV.UK guidance states that from 6 April 2024, no income report is needed where total administration-period estate income is GBP 500 or less.
Always verify current HMRC guidance before filing, especially if values are close to thresholds.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Closing the estate before tax position is fully settled
- Keeping final calculations without source evidence
- Failing to reconcile ledger totals to final accounts
- Relying on memory instead of exporting and archiving final records
FAQ
Do all estates need a full trust and estate tax return?
No. Some estates qualify for simpler reporting routes, depending on current HMRC rules.
What must be done before closure?
Tax reporting decisions, beneficiary payment records, and final reconciled estate accounts should all be complete.
Why use Exports at the end?
Exports give you a clean closeout pack for future beneficiary or HMRC queries.