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Guide · Maryland estates

How to get date-of-death balances from banks

By The AI Executor · Last checked 5 October 2026 · How we write our guides

One of the first numbers a Maryland personal representative needs for each bank account is its balance on the day the person died. Here is why it matters, what to ask the bank for, and what the bank will usually ask you for.

Why the date-of-death balance matters

The Inventory lists the estate’s property at its fair market value as of the date of death, and bank accounts are part of it (Estates and Trusts Article §7-201). The Register of Wills’ guide says the personal representative may value bank accounts and money themselves, without a professional appraiser, and the court’s tip sheet says to attach proof of the value of each asset.

Those same numbers carry forward. The first Account begins with the date-of-death values reported on the Inventory, so a wrong or missing balance now shows up again later. A tax preparer may also use date-of-death values (see IRS Publication 559).

What to ask the bank for

• The balance on the date of death for every account in the decedent’s name. Capital One, for example, calls this a “Date of Death Balance Letter” and offers it to validated executors and administrators. Other banks may use a different name, so describe what you need: a letter or statement showing the balance on the date of death.
• Any interest earned but not yet paid up to the date of death. Ask whether the balance includes it. The IRS estate tax return, for example, lists “unpaid interest accrued” to the date of death separately, and the Register of Wills treats income earned before death as principal.
• The statement that covers the date of death, and the statements after it. The court’s tip sheet reminds personal representatives to gather the records and statements for the decedent’s bank accounts.

What the bank will usually ask you for

Each bank sets its own list, but the large banks’ published estate pages ask for much the same things:

• A copy of the death certificate.
• Your letters of administration, the court document that appoints you.
• Identification, such as a state-acceptable ID (Bank of America).
• The estate’s EIN, if you are opening an estate account. Bank of America and Wells Fargo both ask for it. The IRS issues it free online, usually immediately.

The Maryland Judiciary’s tip sheet gives the same short list to bring to the bank: the death certificate, letters of administration and the EIN. Send copies rather than originals; PNC, for one, says documents will not be returned.

Accounts that may not belong to the estate

Not every account goes on the Inventory. Under Maryland law, the bank’s account agreement decides who owns a joint or payable-on-death account when an owner dies. Where the agreement doesn’t say, money in a joint account generally belongs to the surviving owner, and a payable-on-death account goes to the named payee. Someone who could only sign on the account for convenience, for example under a power of attorney, does not own the money that way (Financial Institutions Article §1-204). The court’s tip sheet puts it simply: an account with a named beneficiary is not probate property. How this applies to a particular account is a question for an attorney.

Those accounts are still reported, on the Information Report rather than the Inventory, and the Register of Wills’ guide says their values follow the same rules. Banks may limit who can ask for a balance letter on them: Capital One says payable-on-death beneficiaries are not entitled to request one.

How long it takes

None of the banks we checked publishes a turnaround time for a date-of-death balance letter. Bank of America and Wells Fargo both say timing varies and that they start once they have every document, so the quickest route is to send everything at once and ask early: in a regular estate the Inventory is generally due within 3 months after the personal representative’s appointment. Our probate timeline shows when each filing is generally due.

Keep copies

Keep every balance letter and statement. The court’s tip sheet says to retain proof of income and payments, and the Register’s auditor may ask for bank statements when the Account is reviewed.

Sources

• Maryland Code, Estates and Trusts §7-201 (Inventory)
• Maryland Code, Financial Institutions §1-204 (joint and payable-on-death accounts)
• Register of Wills, Administering Estates in Maryland (2025)
• Register of Wills, Sample Account (May 2025)
• Maryland Judiciary tip sheet: filing in regular estates, managing the estate and filing an Account
• IRS Publication 559 and Instructions for Form 706
• Bank estate pages (examples, not endorsements): Capital One, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, PNC

General information, not legal or tax advice. Bank policies change; check with each bank. For how the law applies to a particular estate, ask an attorney, a CPA or the Register of Wills.