How to use the probate deadline calculator
Enter the date of death and your state will-lodging window and creditor claim period. The tool returns the date the will must be filed, the creditor claim bar date, the federal estate tax return due date, the disclaimer deadline, and which one comes due first.
Legal basis (September 2026) — The federal estate tax return is due nine months after death under 26 U.S.C. 6075(a), with a six-month filing extension available on Form 4768. A qualified disclaimer must be delivered within nine months under 26 U.S.C. 2518(b)(2). Everything else is state probate law: most states require a custodian to lodge the will with the court within roughly 10 to 90 days of learning of the death, and creditor claim periods commonly run three to six months from published notice. Those two fields are editable because they vary widely by state.
Missing the creditor claim bar date can leave a personal representative exposed, and a late Form 706 carries penalties under 26 U.S.C. 6651, so calendar both early.
This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
Frequently asked questions
Not in the way Korea sets one. US real property passes through probate or by operation of law, and no state statute fixes a recording deadline for heirs. The dates that actually bind are the probate court filings and the federal estate tax return.
Form 706 is due nine months after the date of death under 26 U.S.C. 6075(a). A six-month automatic extension of time to file is available on Form 4768, but it does not extend the time to pay the tax.
A qualified disclaimer under 26 U.S.C. 2518(b)(2) must be in writing and received by the transferor or the estate representative within nine months after the date of death. State probate codes add their own renunciation procedures.