Executor 14-Day Plan: IRS Form 56 and EIN (2026)

If you are the executor, your first two weeks should focus on legal authority, tax setup, asset discovery, benefit notices, and basic fraud controls. In practical terms, that means filing IRS Form 56, getting an estate EIN, opening an estate bank account, requesting IRS transcripts, and checking NAUPA, NAIC, and PBGC for assets or benefits that may otherwise be missed.

This guide is general information for U.S. estates, not legal or tax advice. If the estate is contested, has unusual assets, or you are unsure whether you have authority to act, talk with a probate attorney or tax professional before sending notices or moving money.

If you are still in the first few days after the death, you may also want to read Sunset's broader what to do when someone dies checklist or the executor first 30 days guide.

The first 48 hours if you need quick traction

Some families have time to move slowly. Others are already facing locked accounts, incoming bills, property concerns, or worried relatives. If you need momentum right away, start here, then work through the full 14-day plan below.

Day 1:

• Order certified death certificates.
• Secure the home, vehicles, devices, mail, safes, safe-deposit boxes, and important documents.
• Look for the will, trust, codicils, preneed funeral papers, beneficiary designations, recent tax returns, and financial statements.
• File IRS Form 56 to place the IRS on notice of your fiduciary role.
• Apply for an estate EIN and open an estate bank account.
• Start an executor file with copies of every notice, form, call log, and receipt.

Day 2:

• Run state unclaimed property checks through NAUPA resources, including MissingMoney.
• Submit a request through the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator.
• Search PBGC for unclaimed pensions.
• Request IRS Account and Wage & Income transcripts for the decedent, using your fiduciary authority.
• Begin fraud controls, including credit bureau death flags.
• Start a list of assets and liabilities before planning distributions.

Sunset can help with this early estate settlement work by searching 2,300+ financial institutions for accounts and assets, generating state- and county-specific probate packets, and helping families open an FDIC-insured estate account. Sunset's family product is funded through our bank partnership. The estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.

Two-week executor task map

Use this sequence as a working plan. Court rules, bank requirements, and family facts can change the order, but this structure keeps the most time-sensitive work near the front.

Day	Objective	Key actions
1	Stabilize and prepare	Secure multiple certified death certificates. Locate the will or trust. Secure residences and assets. Start an executor file. Consider USPS mail forwarding. Gather ID and legal documents.
2	Establish IRS fiduciary notice	File IRS Form 56, Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship, for the decedent to put the IRS on notice that you are the fiduciary of record.
3	Create the estate identity	Apply for the estate EIN online or with Form SS-4. Open an estate bank account using the EIN and Letters, or small-estate authority if available.
4 to 5	Reconstruct the tax footprint	Request IRS transcripts, including Account Transcript and Wage & Income Transcript, to identify income payors, W-2 issuers, 1099 issuers, and financial institutions. Review IRS Publication 559 for filing duties, including final Form 1040 and Form 1041 if needed.
6 to 7	Search for assets and benefits	Check NAUPA unclaimed property resources for all states where the decedent lived, worked, or held accounts. Submit an NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator request. Search PBGC for unclaimed pensions. Start broader asset discovery.
8 to 9	Confirm federal benefit notices	Confirm Social Security Administration death reporting, often handled by the funeral home. Ask about survivor benefits and overpayment notices. If applicable, notify OPM or DFAS.
10 to 11	Prepare probate documents	Determine whether probate is required or whether a small-estate affidavit or summary procedure may apply. Prepare county-specific forms and track court dates and notice periods.
12 to 13	Consolidate and protect	Close or transfer accounts into the estate account when you have authority. Maintain an estate ledger. Place credit bureau death flags. Catalog open credit lines, loans, and other liabilities.
14	Plan taxes and distributions	Draft a preliminary distribution plan under the will, trust, or state intestacy law. Calendar tax filings and next-month follow-ups for claims, transcripts, and title work.

Day 1: Stabilize the estate before money moves

Start by collecting the documents and securing property. This does not mean distributing property or taking ownership for yourself. It means protecting what exists so the estate can be handled properly.

Helpful first-day tasks include:

• Obtain 10 to 12 certified death certificates, with more for estates involving many institutions.
• Locate the will, trust, codicils, preneed funeral contract, beneficiary designations, insurance cards, benefits statements, and recent mail.
• Remember that powers of attorney expire at death.
• Secure homes, vehicles, safes, devices, and safe-deposit boxes.
• Photograph contents where appropriate.
• Gather the decedent's government ID, Social Security number, last tax returns, and recent account statements.
• Consider USPS mail forwarding to the executor.
• Update or access email only where lawful.

This is also the right time to start a simple estate ledger. Track receipts, disbursements, dates, payees, memos, and supporting documents. Executors are often asked to explain decisions months later, so a clear paper trail helps.

Day 2: File IRS Form 56

IRS Form 56 is called Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship. It tells the IRS that you are acting as fiduciary for the decedent, the estate, or both.

Key points from the source plan:

• File Form 56 promptly so IRS communications can be tied to the right fiduciary.
• You may file one Form 56 for the decedent as an individual and a separate Form 56 for the estate entity after it exists.
• Keep copies in the estate file.
• Send the form to the IRS address used for the decedent's last return.
• Consult IRS Form 56 and Instructions, and IRS Publication 559, Survivors, Executors, and Administrators.

Form 56 does not replace probate authority. Banks, brokerages, and courts may still require Letters of Authority, Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or small-estate paperwork, depending on the account and the state.

Day 3: Get an EIN and open an estate bank account

An estate EIN is the tax identification number for the estate. You can apply online or use IRS Form SS-4. The EIN may be used for estate bank accounts, Forms 1099, and Form 1041 if an estate income tax return is required.

Once you have the EIN, open an estate bank account if the estate needs one and you have the required authority. Many banks ask for:

• Certified death certificate.
• Estate EIN.
• Letters of Authority, or valid small-estate authority if applicable.
• Executor or administrator identification.
• Institution forms.

Sunset can help families open an FDIC-insured estate account, with FDIC insurance up to $3,000,000. The estate account is controlled by the authorized family representative. Sunset's family product is funded through our bank partnership, the estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.

For more detail on the tax ID step, see Sunset's guide to getting an EIN for an estate.

Days 4 to 5: Request IRS transcripts and map income sources

IRS transcripts can help you find financial institutions and income sources that the family may not know about. Using fiduciary authority, request:

• Account Transcript for recent tax years.
• Wage & Income Transcript showing items such as W-2, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-B, and 1098 information.

The source plan also points to IRS transcript tools and Form 4506-T where applicable. These records can help you build a payor list and cross-check it against statements, mail, and account discoveries.

This is also the time to review IRS Publication 559. Common tax tasks include the decedent's final Form 1040 and, if required, estate income tax return Form 1041. Calendar due dates as soon as you know which returns may apply.

Days 6 to 7: Search NAUPA, NAIC, PBGC, and other assets

The first week is when many hidden assets begin to surface. Search widely, because executors often learn about accounts from tax forms, mail, employer records, and unclaimed property systems.

NAUPA unclaimed property checks

NAUPA is the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. Use NAUPA resources, including MissingMoney, to search state unclaimed property programs.

Search every state where the decedent:

• Lived.
• Worked.
• Held accounts.
• May have received payments or refunds.

If property appears, each state will have its own claim process and documentation rules.

How the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator works

The NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator is often misunderstood. It is not a database that you search and it does not give the requester a match or no-match answer.

Here is how it works:

• You submit a request with the decedent's information.
• NAIC forwards that death information to participating insurance carriers.
• Each carrier checks its own records.
• If a carrier finds a matching policy, the carrier contacts the listed beneficiary directly at the address that carrier has on file for that beneficiary.
• NAIC does not tell the person who submitted the request whether a match was found. There is no results page, no confirmation either way, and no match or no-match response to the requester.

That means silence does not prove there was no policy. If the requester is not the listed beneficiary, if the beneficiary address on file is old, or if the beneficiary has moved or died, the notice may never reach the right person and the requester may never learn that a policy existed.

This is one reason families often pair the NAIC request with direct searches. Sunset's life insurance search is different because Sunset tells the family where a policy was found and helps them claim it, instead of leaving the family waiting on a notice that may never arrive.

PBGC unclaimed pensions

PBGC is the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Search PBGC for defined benefit pensions that may be owed to the decedent. If a pension is located, follow PBGC's instructions to begin the claim process.

Broader asset discovery

Alongside the public checks, look for:

• Banks and credit unions.
• Investment accounts and crypto.
• Retirement plans and pensions.
• Life insurance.
• Real estate and property history.
• Vehicles and titles.
• Business interests.
• Credit cards, loans, and other debts.

Sunset searches 2,300+ financial institutions and can help with bank account search, investment account search, retirement account search, life insurance search, property and real estate search, vehicle search, business search, and debts and liabilities search. Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified, operates nationwide, and nothing moves forward without your approval. Many families see results quickly, with many results appearing within one business day for certain categories, and most families find all assets within about a week.

Days 8 to 9: Confirm Social Security and federal benefit notices

Federal benefits can create both money owed to survivors and payments that must be returned. Confirm early.

For the Social Security Administration:

• Death reporting is commonly handled by the funeral home.
• Confirm that the report was made.
• Ask about survivor benefits eligibility.
• Watch for overpayment notices.
• Review whether a one-time death payment applies.
• Review whether any benefits must be returned for the month of death.
• The source authorities include SSA survivors benefits, death reporting, and SSA-721 funeral director statement.

For federal retirees or employees, contact the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Ask about survivor annuity and FEGLI claims.

For military retirees or annuitants, contact the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. DFAS can help stop payments and provide survivor benefit claim instructions.

Days 10 to 11: Prepare probate paperwork

By the second week, you should have a clearer view of the estate's assets, debts, beneficiary designations, and court needs. Determine whether probate is required or whether a small-estate affidavit or summary procedure may be available.

This is fact-specific and state-specific. Probate may depend on asset type, titling, beneficiary designations, and estate value. For a plain-English overview, see Sunset's guide to when probate is required.

Sunset generates state- and county-specific probate packets across all 50 states and 3,000+ counties, with e-notarization where allowed. If counsel is needed, Sunset can refer families to a local probate attorney.

Keep a docket calendar for:

• Court dates.
• Filing deadlines.
• Statutory notice periods.
• Publication requirements, if any.
• Creditor claim deadlines.
• Real property title work.

Days 12 to 13: Consolidate accounts, track debts, and protect identity

Once you have authority, begin closing or transferring accounts into the estate account. Do not mix estate funds with personal funds. Preserve cost basis records, dividend records, and interest accrual records.

Your estate ledger should track:

• Receipts.
• Disbursements.
• Dates.
• Payees.
• Memos.
• Supporting documents.

Also place death flags with the credit bureaus and catalog open credit lines, loans, and other liabilities. Sunset can help families search for debts and liabilities, which is often as important as finding assets.

Payable-on-death, transfer-on-death, and other beneficiary-designated assets often pass outside the will. Beneficiary designations generally control over will terms. Coordinate these assets with estate liquidity needs, including taxes and expenses, before making distributions.

Day 14: Build the distribution and tax roadmap

By the end of two weeks, the goal is not to finish the estate. The goal is to know what exists, who has authority, what filings may be needed, and what needs follow-up.

Create a working plan for:

• Preliminary distributions under the will, trust, or state intestacy law.
• The decedent's final Form 1040.
• Possible Form 1041 for the estate.
• Basis records.
• 1099s issued to the estate or beneficiaries.
• NAUPA claim status.
• NAIC request follow-up with known insurers and beneficiaries, if any.
• PBGC claim status.
• IRS transcript gaps.
• Institution requirements.
• Real property title work.

Do not rush distributions before you understand debts, taxes, beneficiary designations, and probate requirements. Executors can be asked to account for decisions later.

Copy-paste checklists

Quick documents checklist

• Certified death certificates, count: ____
• Decedent government ID and Social Security number.
• Executor ID.
• Will or trust.
• Letters of Authority, when issued.
• Recent tax returns.
• IRS transcripts, Account and Wage & Income.
• Benefits statements from SSA, OPM, or DFAS if applicable.
• Military records if applicable.
• Bank, brokerage, retirement, and insurance statements.
• Property deeds.
• Vehicle titles.

IRS and tax checklist

• File Form 56 for the decedent.
• File a later Form 56 for the estate entity if needed.
• Apply for the EIN online or with Form SS-4.
• Request Account Transcript.
• Request Wage & Income Transcript.
• Determine the final Form 1040 due date.
• Assess whether Form 1041 is needed.
• Build a payor list from W-2 and 1099 issuers.
• Cross-check payors against discovered accounts.

Asset discovery and claims checklist

• Search NAUPA resources for every relevant state.
• Submit an NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator request.
• Search PBGC for unclaimed pensions.
• Search banks, investments, crypto, retirement, insurance, real estate, vehicles, and business interests.
• Search debts and liabilities.
• Open claim or closure tickets.
• Track required documents and due dates.

Copy-paste letters and emails

Use these as plain starting points. Edit them to match your authority, the institution, and the estate.

Financial institution notice

Subject: Estate of [Full Name, SSN last 4, Date of Death]: Fiduciary Notice and Next Steps

To Whom It May Concern,

I am the duly authorized fiduciary for the Estate of [Full Name], who died on [Date of Death]. IRS Form 56 has been filed. An EIN has been obtained for the estate. Please advise your requirements for providing account information and initiating closure or transfer to the estate account. I will supply certified death certificates, Letters of Authority, and any institution forms upon request.

Sincerely,

[Executor Name], [Title]

[Address]

[Phone]

[Email]

Employer or HR benefits request

Subject: Records Request for the Estate of [Employee Name] (DoD: [MM/DD/YYYY])

Dear [HR/Benefits],

Please provide a benefits summary for [Employee Name], including retirement plan balances, life insurance, group or voluntary, last pay, COBRA notices, and any pending reimbursements. I can provide a death certificate and Letters of Authority. Kindly list your documentation requirements and timelines.

Thank you,

[Executor Name]

Federal retiree notice for OPM or DFAS

Subject: Deceased Annuitant Notification: [Full Name], CSA/CSS/Retiree ID [if known]

Dear [OPM/DFAS],

I am reporting the death of [Full Name] on [Date]. Please send survivor benefit and insurance claim instructions and identify any payments that must be returned for the month of death. I can provide certified documentation as required.

Respectfully,

[Executor Name]

Authorities to consult

These are the authorities named in the source plan. Check current agency instructions before filing or sending documents.

• IRS Publication 559, Survivors, Executors, and Administrators.
• IRS Form 56 and Instructions, Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship.
• IRS EIN application.
• IRS Form SS-4 and Instructions.
• IRS Form 4506-T and transcript request options, including Account and Wage & Income transcripts.
• National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, NAUPA, and state unclaimed property programs.
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners, NAIC, Life Insurance Policy Locator.
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, PBGC, unclaimed pensions search.
• Social Security Administration, SSA, survivors benefits and death reporting, including SSA-721 funeral director statement.
• U.S. Office of Personnel Management, OPM, report a death for federal annuitants and FEGLI.
• Defense Finance and Accounting Service, DFAS, deceased military retiree and annuitant procedures.

FAQ

What should an executor do in the first two weeks?

In the first two weeks, an executor should secure property, order certified death certificates, file IRS Form 56, get an estate EIN, open an estate account if needed, request IRS transcripts, search for assets, confirm benefit notices, and begin probate paperwork if required.

Do I need IRS Form 56 if I already have Letters of Authority?

Letters of Authority help show banks, courts, and other institutions that you can act for the estate. IRS Form 56 serves a different purpose: it tells the IRS about your fiduciary relationship. The source plan recommends filing Form 56 promptly and keeping copies in your estate file.

What IRS transcripts should an executor request?

The source plan names two helpful transcript types: the Account Transcript and the Wage & Income Transcript. The Wage & Income Transcript can show W-2, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-B, 1098, and other reported items that may point to accounts or payors.

Does the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator tell me if a policy exists?

No. You submit the decedent's information, NAIC forwards the death information to participating carriers, and each carrier checks its own records. If a carrier finds a match, the carrier contacts the listed beneficiary directly at the beneficiary address on file. NAIC does not tell the requester whether a match was found.

How can Sunset help during the first two weeks?

Sunset can search 2,300+ financial institutions for assets, help with life insurance claims, generate state- and county-specific probate packets, support transfers, and help families open an FDIC-insured estate account. Sunset has helped 15,000+ families settle estates, and the estate does not pay Sunset.

If you are trying to organize the first two weeks after a death, Sunset can help you find assets, prepare probate paperwork, set up an estate account, and keep the work moving with family approval at each step.