How Do I Open an Estate Account When Someone Dies?
The estate account can be opened at any bank. Select one to see its opening procedure — where the account can be opened, the documents required, and the steps the bank follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
An estate account is a bank account titled to the estate itself — not to the person who died and not to the executor personally. The court-appointed executor or administrator opens it to deposit money owed to the estate (final paychecks, refunds, proceeds from closed accounts), pay the estate's debts and expenses, and distribute what remains. Checks made out to "the Estate of" can only be deposited into an account titled this way.
The estate is its own taxpayer, separate from the person who died. Banks open estate accounts under the estate's Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, not the deceased's Social Security Number. The free EIN application prepares IRS Form SS-4 for the estate.
The core set is consistent across the banks verified here: the estate's EIN, letters testamentary or letters of administration from the probate court, a certified death certificate, and government-issued ID for the executor or administrator. Each bank adds its own specifics — select a bank above to see its exact list.
Generally not. Among the banks verified here, opening an estate account is an in-person process — Chase, for example, states an estate account cannot be opened online and requires a branch appointment. Select a bank above to see its stated channels.
The banks verified here require letters testamentary or letters of administration — the court documents issued when an executor or administrator is appointed. An agent under a power of attorney cannot open an estate account; a power of attorney ends at death.
No. The estate account is a new account belonging to the estate, and it can be opened at any bank that offers estate accounts. Executors often open it where the deceased banked because the same visit handles the death claim on the existing accounts, but that is not a requirement.
No. Assets titled to a revocable living trust pass outside the probate estate — the successor trustee administers them under the trust, without letters or an estate account. SimplyTrust's online trust is set up in about 15 minutes.
