Estate accounting template
A blank executor's account built around creditor claims, executor fees, distributions to heirs and closing the estate. PDF and Excel. A template, not a court form.
What this template is
An estate is wound up, not managed indefinitely. This template follows that path: it starts from the inventory at the date of death (Schedule A), shows how debts and costs were paid, and ends with the proposed final distribution to heirs and beneficiaries (Schedule I). It's a template for executors, administrators and personal representatives, not a court form, and no court has approved it.
Creditor claims
Schedule D lists every claim presented: the creditor, the amount claimed, whether you allowed or rejected it, and what was paid and when. Rejected and unpaid claims belong on it too. Under the Uniform Probate Code, when the personal representative publishes notice to creditors, claims must be presented within four months after the first publication or be barred (§3-801). Whether publication is required, and the period, vary by state; keep proof of any notice you give.
Executor and attorney fees
Schedule F shows the personal representative's and the attorney's compensation and the basis for each. Some states set the personal representative's compensation by statutory percentages, such as California Probate Code §10800 or New York SCPA §2307; the Uniform Probate Code instead entitles the personal representative to reasonable compensation (§3-719). Funeral and administration expenses go on Schedule E.
Distributions to heirs
Schedule G lists what each heir or beneficiary has already received, in cash or in kind, at its value when distributed. Keep a signed receipt for each one.
Closing the estate
Schedule H lists what's left at the close of the account, Schedule I shows how it's proposed to be divided under the will or the intestacy statute, and Schedule J reconciles cash to the statements. Depending on the state, the estate closes by court order on a final account or, under Uniform Probate Code §3-1003, by a verified closing statement filed no earlier than six months after appointment, with a full written account sent to the affected distributees. Several states publish their own estate account forms, such as New York's JA-7; the state pages explain each one.
The summary
The first page is the summary (Amount column). Each line refers to the schedule that supports it:
- CHARGES
- Inventory: property on hand at date of death
- Receipts after death
- Gains on sale
- Total charges
- CREDITS
- Losses on sale
- Creditor claims paid
- Funeral and administration expenses
- Executor or administrator and attorney fees
- Distributions to heirs and beneficiaries
- Assets on hand at close of account
- Total credits
The schedules
| Schedule | Title | Columns |
|---|---|---|
| A | Inventory: Property on Hand at Date of Death | Description, Where held, Inventory value |
| B | Receipts After Death | Date, Source, Description, Amount |
| C | Gains and Losses on Sale of Estate Assets | Date, Asset sold, Net proceeds, Inventory value, Gain, Loss |
| D | Creditor Claims | Date presented, Creditor, Amount claimed, Allowed, rejected or pending, Date paid, Amount paid |
| E | Funeral and Administration Expenses | Date, Payee, Description, Amount |
| F | Executor or Administrator and Attorney Fees | Date, Payee, Basis (statutory schedule, court order or will), Amount |
| G | Distributions to Heirs and Beneficiaries | Date, Beneficiary, Cash or property distributed, Value |
| H | Assets on Hand at Close of Account | Description, Where held, Carry value, Current value |
| I | Closing: Proposed Final Distribution | Beneficiary, Share under will or intestacy, Cash, Property (value), Total |
| J | Cash Reconciliation to Statements | Account, Statement ending balance, Outstanding items, Reconciled balance |
How to fill it in
- List every asset at its date-of-death value on Schedule A, matching the inventory you filed.
- Enter receipts after death on B and each sale's gain or loss on C.
- Log each creditor claim on D as it arrives, then the funeral and administration expenses on E and fees on F.
- Record interim distributions on G and the assets still on hand on H.
- Draft the proposed final distribution on I, reconcile cash on J and check that total charges equal total credits.