What goes in a final estate accounting?

Everything the executor took in and everything that went out. On one side (charges): the inventory value of the estate, any property found later, income and other receipts, and gains on sales. On the other side (credits): debts and expenses paid, losses on sales, distributions to beneficiaries, and whatever property is still on hand. The two sides must be equal — that is how the court and the beneficiaries can see nothing is missing.

Is there a required format?

California spells one out: Probate Code §1061 requires a summary of account with charges and credits in a set order, which this template follows. Other states use a similar charge-and-discharge layout, but local forms and court rules differ — check what your probate court requires before filing.

Can I open it in Excel?

Yes. "Download for Excel" saves a CSV file that opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers, with the summary and every line item.

Do beneficiaries have to approve the final accounting?

It depends on the state and the court. Many estates send the accounting to the beneficiaries and ask them to sign a receipt and release; others file it with the court for approval. The accounting itself is the same either way.

Does anything I enter get saved or sent anywhere?

No. Everything stays in your browser and is gone when you close the tab — download or print before you leave.

Final Estate Accounting Template (Free): Build the Summary of Account

Enter what the estate started with, what came in and what went out. The template builds the charge-and-credit summary of account, checks that it balances, and lets you print it or download it for Excel.

Free · no signup · runs in your browser — nothing you type leaves your device.

The estate

Sample figures are filled in — replace them with yours.

Estate of

Period from

Period to

Charges — what the estate had and took in

Inventory value at the start ($)

The total from the inventory filed with the court (or the value of everything on the date of death).

Additional property found later ($)

Receipts — income and other money received

Gains on sales ($)

Sale price above the inventory value — for example, a house inventoried at $300,000 that sold for $318,000.

Credits — what went out

Disbursements — debts, expenses, taxes, fees

Losses on sales ($)

Sale price below the inventory value — for example, a car inventoried at $14,000 that sold for $11,500.

Distributions to beneficiaries

Summary of account

Property on hand at the end: —
Total charges: —
Total credits: —

Charges

Credits

Distributions by beneficiary

Keep it, don't recalculate it

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This builds the final summary. Estate Executor OS keeps the ledger behind it from day one — every asset, account, receipt and payout — so the final accounting is a printout, not a reconstruction. One offline file, no subscription, yours forever — one-time $29.

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How the summary of account works

A final accounting is a balance. Everything the executor became responsible for goes on one side — the charges: the inventory value, property found later, money received, and gains on sales. Everything the executor did with it goes on the other — the credits: debts and expenses paid, losses on sales, distributions to beneficiaries, and the property still on hand. If the two sides don’t match, something is missing.

This template uses the order California sets out in Probate Code §1061. Most states use the same charge-and-discharge idea, but courts have their own forms and schedules — use this to get the numbers right, then put them on whatever form your court requires.

What to attach

A schedule for each line: every receipt, every disbursement and every distribution, with dates. The Excel download lists them.
Bank statements for the estate account covering the whole period.
Receipts or releases signed by beneficiaries, where your state uses them.

Questions

What goes in a final estate accounting?: Everything the executor took in and everything that went out. On one side (charges): the inventory value of the estate, any property found later, income and other receipts, and gains on sales. On the other side (credits): debts and expenses paid, losses on sales, distributions to beneficiaries, and whatever property is still on hand. The two sides must be equal — that is how the court and the beneficiaries can see nothing is missing.
Is there a required format?: California spells one out: Probate Code §1061 requires a summary of account with charges and credits in a set order, which this template follows. Other states use a similar charge-and-discharge layout, but local forms and court rules differ — check what your probate court requires before filing.
Can I open it in Excel?: Yes. "Download for Excel" saves a CSV file that opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers, with the summary and every line item.
Do beneficiaries have to approve the final accounting?: It depends on the state and the court. Many estates send the accounting to the beneficiaries and ask them to sign a receipt and release; others file it with the court for approval. The accounting itself is the same either way.
Does anything I enter get saved or sent anywhere?: No. Everything stays in your browser and is gone when you close the tab — download or print before you leave.

How to manage an estate as executor, step by step · Estate Executor OS, Interactive Probate Dashboard, Asset Inventory, Account Closure Tracker, Probate Deadline Auto-Calculator · All free tools