For our purposes here, we will assume you are the executor. Generally, you will hire an attorney to handle this. The attorney will require a copy of the deceased's last income and gift tax returns, canceled checks for the last three years, and last paycheck stub. Essentially, you must account for all assets the deceased owned or controlled at death. Each state sets the type and length of notice required to establish a deadline for creditors to file claims.
Courts usually bar untimely claims.
The deadline allows you to know when you can distribute the deceased's assets to beneficiaries. Tax return filing. You or the attorney probably will need to hire an accountant to prepare the estate's tax returns, including final income and estate taxes. Noting the various tax deadlines is important. The tax preparer should file Form 1040 covering the period from Jan. 1 of the year the deceased died until his or her date of death, and Form 1041 for the estate from that point forward.