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If someone dies without a will or known family, their ownerless property (bona vacantia) goes to the crown - check if you're an entitled relative, search for an estate, refer or claim on an estate

• Overview

  When someone dies with no will or known family, their property passes to…

• Who to contact

  The Government Legal Department handles bona vacantia in England and Wales…

• Check if you're an entitled relative

  You need to know if you’re entitled before making a claim on an estate.…

• Make a claim on an estate

  If you think you’re entitled to an estate in England and Wales (but not…

• Refer an estate

  If you know someone who has died with no will or known blood relatives,…

• Grants from a deceased person's estate

  You can apply for a grant from a deceased person’s estate if you could…

• Updated: 17 April 2025

Value the estate of someone who's died so that you can get probate: work out if tax is due, check how to report the estate's value, complete the correct form.

• What you need to do

  To find out if there’s Inheritance Tax to pay, you need to value the…

• Identify assets and debts

  Before you can value the money, property and possessions (the estate) of…

• Estimate the estate’s value

  You need an estimate of the estate’s value (the money, property and…

• Check if you need to send full details of the estate

  Whether you need to send full details of the estate depends on several…

• If Inheritance Tax is due or full details are needed

  You must report the full details of the estate and its value to HM Revenue…

• Records

  You must keep certain records after you value an estate. HM Revenue and…

If you already have the right or have probate (as an executor or administrator) you can start dealing with the estate. You may need to apply for the right to deal with the estate of the person who's died (also...

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is paid when a person's estate is worth more than £325,000 when they die - exemptions, passing on property. Sometimes known as death duties.

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