Free Wisconsin Estate Closing Packet

In Wisconsin, the personal representative is discharged automatically once the statutory period runs, and a final accounting is required.

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The Decedent

The person whose estate you are closing.

First Name*

Middle Name

Last Name*

Date of Death(MM/DD/YYYY)*

City or town of residence at death

County of administration*

The county where the estate was administered (where letters were issued).

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In informal administration the personal representative closes the estate by filing a verified Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate (Form PR-1816) with the probate registrar under Wis. Stat. § 865.16, certifying that notice to interested persons and creditors was given and the claim deadline has passed, that the estate is fully administered and distributed, and that a full written account was furnished to affected distributees; no hearing or court order is required and the appointment terminates by operation of law six months later.

Not before the § 859.01 creditor-claim deadline (the court/registrar-set date, 3 to 4 months from the order) has passed prior to the date of the closing statement; the estate must also be fully administered and distributed (§ 865.16(1)(a), (b)). Closing a Wisconsin estate generally involves a Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries from the Department of Revenue, requested on Schedule CC. On the formal court-discharge track, the decedent's and estate income tax returns must be filed with the department and its receipt — the closing certificate — filed with the court before final distribution is ordered, unless the court dispenses with it because clearly no tax is due (§ 71.13(3)). On the informal track the closing statement itself certifies that death and other taxes are paid (§ 865.16(1)(b)), but the Wisconsin Court System's probate guide instructs personal representatives to file a Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries, and the probate registrar may require it under local practice. The department generally issues the certificate within 120 days of receiving Schedule CC, so request it well before the planned closing.

Yes. Wisconsin requires an account of the administration to close on this route. In informal administration the personal representative closes the estate by filing a verified statement with the probate registrar that the estate has been fully administered and that a full written account has been furnished to the distributees whose interests are affected; no court judgment approves the account, and the appointment terminates if no proceeding involving the personal representative is pending 6 months after the statement is filed. Each person who received property signs a receipt, and the signed receipts go with the closing statement.

Wisconsin discharges the personal representative automatically once the statutory period runs. On the default informal track the PR's appointment terminates by operation of law six months after the closing statement is filed if no proceeding involving the PR is then pending (§ 865.16(2)); claims against the PR for breach of fiduciary duty are barred unless commenced within six months after the filing of the closing statement (§ 865.18, fraud excepted). No discharge order is entered. On the formal track the PR is discharged by court order under § 863.47 once distributee receipts are filed.

Yes: Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate (Informal Administration) (PR-1816), Estate Account (Informal and Formal Administration) (PR-1814), Estate Receipt (Informal and Formal Administration) (PR-1815), Petition for Final Judgment (Formal Administration) (PR-1910), Final Judgment (Formal Administration) (PR-1912). The forms are print-only; the closing packet reproduces them with the entries in their blanks.

Closing an Estate in Wisconsin

Wisconsin's closing route, in the statute's terms: In informal administration the personal representative closes the estate by filing a verified Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate (Form PR-1816) with the probate registrar under Wis. Stat. § 865.16, certifying that notice to interested persons and creditors was given and the claim deadline has passed, that the estate is fully administered and distributed, and that a full written account was furnished to affected distributees; no hearing or court order is required and the appointment terminates by operation of law six months later.

Closing a Wisconsin estate generally involves a Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries from the Department of Revenue, requested on Schedule CC. On the formal court-discharge track, the decedent's and estate income tax returns must be filed with the department and its receipt — the closing certificate — filed with the court before final distribution is ordered, unless the court dispenses with it because clearly no tax is due (§ 71.13(3)).

Wisconsin requires an account of the administration to close on this route. In informal administration the personal representative closes the estate by filing a verified statement with the probate registrar that the estate has been fully administered and that a full written account has been furnished to the distributees whose interests are affected; no court judgment approves the account, and the appointment terminates if no proceeding involving the personal representative is pending 6 months after the statement is filed. Each person who received property signs a receipt, and the signed receipts go with the closing statement.

Wisconsin publishes Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate (Informal Administration) (PR-1816), Estate Account (Informal and Formal Administration) (PR-1814), Estate Receipt (Informal and Formal Administration) (PR-1815), Petition for Final Judgment (Formal Administration) (PR-1910), Final Judgment (Formal Administration) (PR-1912); the forms are print-only, so the packet reproduces them with the entries in their blanks.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 16, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from Wisconsin statutes and official state code. How we research.

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Free Wisconsin Estate Closing Packet

In Wisconsin, the personal representative is discharged automatically once the statutory period runs, and a final accounting is required.

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Closing an Estate in Wisconsin

Free Wisconsin Estate Closing Packet

The Decedent

Is this your situation?

Named as Executor

Death of a Parent

Loss of a Spouse

Forms for Settling an Estate in Wisconsin

Notice to Creditors

Affidavit of Heirship

Small Estate Affidavit

Estate Inventory

IRS Form 1310

Letter of Instruction

Affidavit of Death

IRS Form 56

Tools for Settling an Estate in Wisconsin

How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Can I Self-File Probate?

How Do I Get Letters Testamentary?

What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?

What Happens When an Estate Is Insolvent?

How Do I Claim a Deceased Person's Unclaimed Property?

How Do I Open an Estate Account When Someone Dies?

Hire a Wisconsin Probate Attorney

Your kids shouldn't have to do this.

Wisconsin Estate Settlement Resources

Free Wisconsin Estate Closing Packet

The Decedent