How long should I keep probate records for.

bagshotpaul

Can anyone offer some advice on how long I should keep probate records for. ie for X number of years after probate granted or X number of years after estate had been wound up and proceeds distributed.

Many Thanks

getmore4less

I would keep them and hand them down
Once tidied up there is not a lot of paperwork.

We have a folder with 3 generations of estates.

Edit: Forgot to answer the question.

There is a thread here that covers this is some detail but can't find it.

For general debts appearing you need 6 years.
If property is involved there is a longer time frame.
And there were other reasons that had longer, over 10years.

There is also the case that a pre deceased relative estate pops up and having the records/will can make tracing beneficiaries easier.

Owain_Moneysaver

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can ask to see your records up to 20 years after Inheritance Tax is paid.


https://www.gov.uk/valuing-estate-of-someone-who-died/records

I would keep them indefinately especially if bequests are in the family.

For example, the law over transfer of unused nil rate bands changed. It wasn't in existence when my father died, so no records were kept. When my mother died it took time and expense to establish that a nil rate band could probably be transferred - and even then we weren't really sure as there were no exec accounts as to how the estate had actually been distributed. If you need in the future to establish property values at the time of death twenty or thirty years ago for Capital Gains Tax or other purposes having the exec's accounts and working papers could be very useful.