How Do I Open an Estate Account at Citibank?

Citibank asks for: Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) issued by the IRS for the estate -- per the Consumer Deposit Account Agreement, "The estate will need its own Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)"; Court appointment as Executor, Administrator, or Personal Representative -- the CDAA defines an Estate Account as "an account held by a person appointed by a court"; Citi's estate-services glossary identifies Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration as the court document confirming that appointment.

Yes. Citibank opens the account under the estate's Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS — the deceased's Social Security Number cannot be used. Getting the EIN is the first step.

Citibank's published guidance does not state a co-executor appearance rule. When more than one executor or administrator was appointed, confirm with Citibank whether all must attend.

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.