Tools for Trustees in Washington

In Washington, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent) unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

7 tools for Washington

What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In Washington, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent) unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

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Do I Need Probate?

In Washington, estates valued at $100,000 or less skip probate with the Small Estate Affidavit, 40 days after death.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Washington costs an estimated $27,599 and takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate. Estates under $100,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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How Do I Open a Trust Account at My Bank?

Compare trust-account requirements bank by bank: how a revocable trust account is opened or retitled, and what proves the trust.

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Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?

Washington has no state income tax, so only the federal final Form 1040 is due for the decedent; a federal estate tax return (Form 706) is required only for estates above $15,000,000.

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How Do I Settle a Trust?

Settling a trust in Washington happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statute, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 days, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.

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Washington allows a trustee reasonable compensation, with no statutory schedule, so the amount turns on the type of trustee and the work. A family trustee typically takes 0% to 1% of trust assets a year, or waives the fee; a professional trustee 0.5% to 1.5%; a corporate trustee 1% to 2% with an annual minimum of about $5,000.

Yes. A family member serving as trustee in Washington is entitled to the same compensation as a professional. Many family trustees waive or reduce the fee, especially when they are also beneficiaries, since the fee is taxable income to the trustee while a distribution usually is not. A record of time and duties is what supports any fee taken if a beneficiary or a court asks.

Settling a trust in Washington starts when the successor trustee accepts the role: the trustee obtains death certificates and an EIN for the now-irrevocable trust, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 days, takes inventory of the trust assets, settles the grantor's debts and taxes, and distributes what remains under the trust terms. The process runs privately, without probate court supervision.

No court proceeding is required to settle assets titled in the trust; the successor trustee administers and distributes them under the trust terms, and the court comes in only for a dispute, a trustee removal or judicial instructions. Assets the grantor left outside the trust pass through the pour-over will, and a small enough set can skip full probate: In Washington, estates valued at $100,000 or less skip probate with the Small Estate Affidavit, 40 days after death. The Washington probate decision tool checks whether any outside asset needs a court filing.

Because Washington has no state income tax, the primary filing is the final federal income tax return (Form 1040) for income earned through the date of death. If the estate earns income during administration, a federal fiduciary return (Form 1041) may be required. No state income tax return is needed. A Washington estate tax return must also be filed when the federal gross estate is $3,000,000 or more, a test on the gross estate that can be met even where deductions mean no tax is due.

Tools for Trustees in Washington

Trust administration is the work of the successor trustee after the person who created a revocable trust dies. The trust becomes irrevocable, the successor takes over without a court appointment, and property titled in the trust passes under the document rather than through probate. The trustee gives the notices the state requires, obtains a taxpayer number for the trust, retitles accounts, pays debts and expenses, files the trust's returns, accounts to the beneficiaries, and distributes the property as the trust directs.

Trustee compensation in Washington is taxable income to the trustee: federal income tax reaches it, and Washington levies no state income tax. Anything left outside the trust goes through probate, where creditors have 4 months to present claims after notice; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 3, 2026

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