Overview 

In this life, there are many difficulties, especially where it involves the administration of deceased estates.  

Thankfully, our new Administration of Deceased Estates Hub can lessen the burden. This toolkit offers a holistic view, from estate planning and intestate succession to the administration and taxing of a deceased estate.

This Hub holds the key to successfully navigating what is often an onerous process, with streamlined guidelines ideal for everybody involved in the process of winding up a deceased estate e.g. executors, tax practitioners, and legal practitioners.

The benefits of this Hub include the following:

• Fast access to information: Information on estate planning and the administration and taxation of deceased estates is often scattered across various sources and has proven to be very time-consuming to find – this Hub draws from resources and guidelines from the authorities and other sources, making them available all in one place. This includes all the supporting documents required throughout the process.
• Holistic view and step-by-step guidelines: With a multitude of things to process, it is common for some elements to fall through the cracks – this Hub provides complete coverage of all the elements to be considered before passing through to the distribution of the estate and assists the user in navigating each step in the process.
• Teaching and learning: Preparing for the process may be just as difficult as having to facilitate it – this Hub includes a variety of training content such as manuals, examples and videos that may be used to ready those who may be responsible for managing the deceased estate process. This training content is ideal for internal training amongst your team.

Wills and Testaments

Acts and Regulations

The Wills Act 

Last Will and Testaments

Supporting documents

Intestate succession

Acts and Regulations

Interstate succession 

Process after death

Registering a death

Report the death to Home Affairs and obtain a death certificate

Appointment of the executor

Appointing the execution

Fees payable to the executor

Supporting documents

Obtain letters of executorship/ Letter of Authority from the Master

Insight into the master`s office

Reporting the Estate to the Master

Acts and Regulations

Reporting the estate to the Masters Office

Supporting documents

Contact details for the Master`s office s

Fees payable for the Master

Administration process

Advertisement of the Notice to Creditors in the Government Gazette and local newspaper

Opening a bank account in the name of the estate

Letters to Financial Institution/ Banks/ Insurance Companies

Close all accounts and cancel debit orders

Obtain valuations for immovable property

Dealing with a firearm of the deceased

Preparation and submission of the Liquidation and Distribution Account

Advertisement of the Liquidation and Distribution Account lying for inspection in the Government Gazette and Local newspaper

Payment to creditors and the distribution of assets and residue

Submitting the final account and obtaining a filing notice from the Master

Executor`s application for discharge 

Preparation and submission of the Liquidation and Distribution Account

Acts and Regulations

Liquidation and Distribution Account 

Redistribution agreements

Debts of the deceased

Reporting a new estate case to SARS

 Notification to SARS of the death of a person

Supporting documents needed for the estate to the coded

Update the Estate`s Representative taxpayer details

Submit all outstanding tax returns of the deceased to SARS

Submit the final L&D account, together with the REV267 (Estate Duty return) to SARS

Issuance of the Deceased Estate Compliance (DEC) letter by SARS

The registration of a deceased estate as a taxpayer (second registration)

Register a deceased estate as taxpayer for income tax purpose?

Documentation required to register a deceased estate?

Changing the banking details of a deceased estate

Income tax and capital gains tax

Income tax of the deceased

Capital gains taxed in the hands of the deceased

Income tax after death in the deceased estate

Acquisition of assets by the deceased estate

Acquisition of assets by heirs or legatees

VAT and the deceased estate

 VAT and the deceased estate 

Estate duty

 Estate duty calculation

Valuation of property in the estate

Valuation of deemed property in the estate

Allowable deductions - Section 4

Abatement - Section 4A

Rapid succession rebate

Administration process

Selling or transferring property from an estate

Sale of immovable assets in an estate

Transfer of Immovable Property to a beneficiary in a Deceased Estate

Guardian Fund

Customary marriages

Cohabitation agreements 

Different types of marriages in South Africa

Civil marriages

Customary marriages

Cohabation agreements