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Probate & Estate Administration

When someone dies, you need to understand their financial position. openstan converts bank statement PDFs from the deceased's accounts into structured, searchable spreadsheets — helping executors and solicitors identify assets, trace transactions, and prepare estate accounts.

Get Started Quick Start Guide

The Challenge

Multiple Accounts, Multiple Banks

The deceased may have held accounts at several institutions. Each bank provides statements in its own PDF format — no two look the same.

Years of Records

For inheritance tax purposes, you may need to review 6–7 years of statements to identify lifetime gifts, unusual transactions, or forgotten accounts.

Tight Deadlines

Executors must file IHT400 within 12 months. Banks require date-of-death balances. HMRC may request supporting records for up to 20 years.

How openstan Helps

Import Statements from Multiple Accounts

Create a single project and import PDF statements from every account the deceased held — regardless of which bank issued them.

Searchable Transaction History

Once imported, every transaction is searchable. Look for:

  • Large transfers or unexplained payments
  • Regular payments that may indicate forgotten subscriptions
  • Changes in spending patterns
  • Payments to individuals (potential lifetime gifts)

Export for Estate Accounts

Export the full transaction dataset to Excel or CSV for use in estate accounting, IHT406 preparation, or submission to the court.

Identify Statement Gaps

openstan automatically detects missing statement periods — so you know which months you still need to request from the bank.

What to Look For

When reviewing bank statements in an estate context:

  • Lifetime gifts — bank transfers or cheques to individuals that may need to be declared on IHT400
  • Unusual activity — spending patterns outside the deceased's normal habits may indicate third-party access
  • Standing orders — may reveal storage fees for documents (Wills, property deeds) held by third parties
  • Premium bonds and dividends — identifiable by payment amounts and references
  • Joint accounts — the deceased's share must be declared even if the survivor inherits the full balance

How It Works

  1. Install openstan on your computer
  2. Create a project — Quick Start guide
  3. Import statement PDFs from every account the deceased held
  4. Search and review transactions across all accounts
  5. Export to Excel for estate accounts or IHT406 preparation
  6. Identify gaps — request missing statements from banks

Important Notes

  • You must obtain statement PDFs from each bank's bereavement team
  • Date-of-death balance statements are separate from regular monthly statements — request these specifically
  • openstan processes everything offline — no financial data leaves your machine
  • See our Privacy Policy for details

More Use Cases

Conveyancing — source of funds verification. Self Assessment — personal tax return preparation. All use cases.