Iowa Executor & Trustee Checklist
You've been named executor or trustee in Iowa — and probably handed no instructions. This is the ordered list of what to do, in the sequence Iowa expects it, with the deadlines and terminology that are specific to this state. Work down it, check things off, and nothing important slips.
- Who administers the estate
- Executor (with a will) or Administrator (intestate); statute term 'personal representative'
- Court
- District Court (probate is a docket of the District Court; clerk of district court)
- Appointment document
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Creditor claim window
- 4 months after the second publication of the notice
- Inventory deadline
- Report and inventory required within 90 days of appointment
- Trustee notice deadline
- No fixed 60-day rule
- State death tax
- Inheritance tax FULLY REPEALED for deaths on or after January 1, 2025
If you're the Executor / Personal Representative
The probate track — administering the estate through the District Court (probate is a docket of the District Court; clerk of district court).
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This is the document that proves you have authority to act as Executor (with a will) or Administrator (intestate); statute term 'personal representative'.
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Publish notice of appointment (Iowa Code §§633.230, 633.304, 633.410). Known/reasonably ascertainable creditors get direct mailed notice; barred the later of the 4-month period or 1 month after mailing.
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Report and inventory required within 90 days of appointment (Iowa Code §633.361), filed with the court.
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Notice of probate/administration to surviving spouse, heirs, and devisees (mailed plus published). Non-UPC; no 30-day 'information notice.'
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Get an EIN for the estate from the IRS (free at irs.gov, ~10 minutes) — the estate is its own taxpayer and you'll need it before a bank will open an account.
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Open a dedicated estate bank account — every dollar in or out flows through it; commingling estate money with your own is the fastest way to get into trouble.
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Keep receipts and records of every transaction and decision — not just what you did, but why; your final accounting is built from this and it's your protection if a choice is ever questioned.
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Pay valid claims and taxes before distributing anything, in the statutory order — paying family first can leave you personally liable. Inheritance tax FULLY REPEALED for deaths on or after January 1, 2025 (SF 619, 2021). No estate tax. Deaths in 2024 or earlier may still owe phased inheritance tax.
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Collect a signed receipt or release from every beneficiary when you distribute.
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Final report and accounting filed with and approved by the court, then discharge of the fiduciary. Cannot close before the 4-month claim period expires.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
If you're the Trustee
The trust track — administering a trust outside of probate.
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Locate and read the entire trust document, including any amendments and restatements — your powers, limits, and timelines live there.
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No fixed 60-day rule — under the Iowa Trust Code the trustee must notify qualified beneficiaries within a reasonable time after a revocable trust becomes irrevocable (Iowa Code §633A.4213).
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Publish notice of appointment (Iowa Code §§633.230, 633.304, 633.410). Known/reasonably ascertainable creditors get direct mailed notice; barred the later of the 4-month period or 1 month after mailing.
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Get an EIN for the trust from the IRS — the trust becomes irrevocable at death and files its own returns from that point.
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Retitle and gather the trust assets; hunt down anything never moved into the trust — it may need probate.
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Keep trust assets separate from your own, always — separate accounts, separate records, no exceptions.
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Document every decision, valuation, and distribution as you go.
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Account to the beneficiaries at least annually and at termination.
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Distribute according to the terms of the trust and collect signed receipts and releases.
Good to know in Iowa
(1) Small-estate administration (ch. 635) when gross probate assets ≤ $200,000; (2) distribution of personal property by affidavit up to $50,000 (§633.356).
Final report and accounting filed with and approved by the court, then discharge of the fiduciary. Cannot close before the 4-month claim period expires.
Statutory fee schedules: PR commissions capped at 6% of the first $1,000, 4% of the next $4,000, 2% of the excess over $5,000 (§633.197); attorney fees follow the same schedule. Inheritance tax fully gone for 2025+ deaths. 90-day filed inventory and mandatory court accounting.
Sources — investigate further
The steps above are drawn from Iowa's own statutes and courts. To dig deeper:
We'll email you a copy so it's always one click away. No spam — just the checklist and the occasional estate-settlement tip.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and county practice varies. When in doubt, talk to a probate attorney licensed in the relevant state.