Final Report

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Final Report is a commonly used form within Iowa. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About Final Report

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Final Report:

• This form pertains to the State of Iowa

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Iowa’s Form PMF 601 - Final Report up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Iowa form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Iowa probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form PMF 601, take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in IA are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form PMF 601 online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form PMF 601 witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Final Report to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Iowa.

5 reasons you should submit PMF 601 as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Iowa can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Iowa. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Iowa is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Iowa probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Iowa probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form PMF 601, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Final Report is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Iowa probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Iowa.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form PMF 601 - Final Report f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Iowa probate court office.

Final Report is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Iowa-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Iowa Form PMF 601 - Final Report. You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

PMF 601 IN THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR COUNTY IN THE MATTER ) Probate No. ______________________ ) OF THE ESTATE OF ) FINAL REPORT ) , ) Deceased. ) The undersigned states: 1. __ Option 1 The Decedent died testate on . The Will of the Decedent was admitted to probate in this Court on . Notice of Probate of Will, Appointment of Personal Representative and Notice to Creditors was published as required by law; more than four months have elapsed since the second publication of the Notice; and more than one month has elapsed since the last date that the Notice was mailed to any heir of the Decedent, any devisee under the Decedent's Will, [the Decedent's spouse] or any creditor. __ Option 2 The Decedent died intestate on . An order granting administration of this estate was entered on . Notice of Appointment of Personal Representative and Notice to Creditors was published as required by law; more than four months have elapsed since the second publication of the Notice; and more than one month has elapsed since the last date that the Notice was mailed to any creditor. 2.An inventory of the property of the Decedent has been filed. 3.__ Option 1 The name and address of the Decedent's surviving spouse is _____________________________________________________________ __ Option 2 No spouse survived the Decedent. 4.__ Option 1 Following are the names, addresses and relationships of each devisee under the Decedent's Will: Name Address Relationship _______________________ _________________________________________________ __________________ _______________________ _________________________________________________ __________________ _______________________ _________________________________________________ __________________ _______________________ _________________________________________________ __________________ ______________________ __________________________________________________ __________________ There were no after-born children, as defined in §633.26 PMF 601 __ Option 2 Following are the names, addresses and relationships of each heir of the Decedent: Name Address Relationship _______________________ _________________________________________________ ___________________ _______________________ _________________________________________________ ___________________ _______________________ _________________________________________________ ___________________ _______________________ _________________________________________________ ___________________ ______________________ __________________________________________________ ___________________ 5.__ Option 1 Decedent was not married at the time of _____ death. Any posthumously conceived child of decedent would not meet the definition of a child as provided in Probate Code §633.267 (as amended in 2011). Accordingly, the Personal Representative has not reserved any estate assets to fund a distribution for any posthumously conceived heirs. __ Option 2 Decedent was married at the time of _____ death. Decedent either left no genetic material for reproductive purposes or did not leave a writing authorizing ______________________ surviving spouse to use the genetic material to initiate a posthumous reproductive procedure. Any posthumously conceived child of decedent would not meet the definition of a child as provided in Probate Code §633.267 (as amended in 2011). Accordingly, the Personal Representative has not reserved any estate assets to fund a distribution for any posthumously conceived heirs. __ Option 3 Decedent left genetic material for reproductive purposes and also left a writing authorizing _______________________ surviving spouse to use the genetic material to initiate a posthumous reproductive procedure. Any child of decedent born within two years of decedent’s death would meet the definition of child as provided would be entitled to receive __________________________________ share of the decedent’s estate. Because there is the possibility that the decedent may have afterborn children, the Personal Representative is holding $_______________________ in reserve. If no posthumously conceived child has been born within two years of decedent’s date of death, the Personal Representative will make final distributions and submit a supplemental report after such final distributions have been made. 6.__ Option 1 No legacy or devise remains a charge on any real estate. __ Option 2 A charge remains on the following real estate located in _________________, County, ___________________(state): _____________________________________________________________________________ (legal description) The nature and amount of the charge is: ____________________________________________ . 7.__ Option 1 No distributee is under any legal disability. __ Option 2 No distributee is under any legal disability except that ___________________, a distributee of this Estate, is under the following legal disability: PMF 601 _____________________________________________________________________________. 8.__ Option 1 No conservator or trustee has been appointed for any distributee of this Estate. __ Option 2 No conservator or trustee has been appointed for any distributee of this Estate except that ___________________________ has been appointed _______________________ of _______________________ , and Letters of Appointment were issued by the Iowa District Court for ___________________ County in Probate No. ________________. 9.__ Option 1 An accounting of the receipts and disbursements of the Estate is attached as Exhibit A. __ Option 2 An accounting of the receipts and disbursements of the Estate has been waived by all interested persons and the waivers are on file. 10.The undersigned has complied with all statutory requirements pertaining to taxes. 11.__ Option 1 The Certificate of Acquittance for Iowa Income Tax is on file. __ Option 2 The final Iowa 1041 fiduciary income tax return has been filed for this estate. A Certificate of Acquittance will be filed with the Clerk of this Court when it is received. 12.__ Option 1 An Iowa Inheritance Tax Clearance is on file showing No Tax Due. __ Option 2 An Iowa Inheritance Tax Clearance is on file and a receipt evidencing payment in full of the Iowa Inheritance Taxes is on file herein. __ Option 3 No Iowa Inheritance Tax Return was required to be filed pursuant to Iowa Code §450.53(1)(b) and §450.58(2). __ Option 4 Pursuant to Iowa Code §450.22(3), no Iowa Inheritance Tax Return was required to be filed since (i) there is no federal estate tax filing obligation and (ii) all of the decedent’s assets passed to individuals referred to in Iowa Code §450.9 that are entirely exempt from Iowa Inheritance Taxes. 13.__ Option 1 No Federal Estate Tax is due and no lien continues to exist for Federal Estate Tax. __ Option 2 A Federal Estate Tax Closing Letter has been obtained showing no tax due and a copy is on file. No lien continues to exist for Federal Estate Tax. __ Option 3 A Federal Estate Tax Closing Letter has been obtained and a copy is on file. A copy of the canceled check(s) showing payment of the Federal Estate Tax is on file. No lien continues to exist for Federal Estate Tax. __ Option 4 A Federal Estate Tax Closing Letter has been obtained and a copy is on file. A copy of the canceled check(s) showing partial payment of the Federal Estate Tax is on file. A lien continues to exist for Federal Estate Tax. PMF 601 14.__ Option 1 All interested persons have waived notice of the time and place of hearing on the Final Report, have consented to its approval and to the closing of this Estate at any time without further notice, and the waivers are on file. __ Option 2 The names and addresses of all interested persons who are entitled to notice of the time and place of hearing on this Final Report are: Name Address _________________________________ ________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 15.None of the beneficiaries of this Estate and no persons otherwise interested in this Estate are now in the active service or on active duty in any of the United States Armed Forces and do not come within the provisions of the Service Members' Civil Relief Act of 1940, as amended. 16.__ Option 1 At death, the Decedent did not own any real estate. __ Option 2 At death, the Decedent owned the following real estate, located in County, (state): ________________________________________________________________________________ (legal description) This real estate has not been sold or conveyed by the Personal Representative. Pursuant to the will of the Decedent, title to this real estate passed to ___________________________________. __ Option 3 At death, the Decedent owned the following real estate in County, (state): ________________________________________________________________________________ (legal description) This real estate has not been sold or conveyed by the Personal Representative. Pursuant to the Iowa laws of intestate succession, title to this real estate passed to _________________________. __ Option 4 At death, the Decedent owned the following real estate in County, (state): ________________________________________________________________________________ (legal description) This real estate was held by the Decedent in joint tenancy, with full rights of survivorship, with and by operation of law the entire interest in this real estate passed to . __ Option 5 At date of death, the Decedent was the owner of certain real estate, all PMF 601 of which has been sold and conveyed by the undersigned during the administration of this estate, and no change of title is necessary. __ Option 6 At death, the Decedent owned the following real estate located in County, (state): ________________________________________________________________________________ (legal description) This real estate was sold and conveyed to by the Personal Representative during the administration of this Estate in accordance with an Order of this Court. __ Option 7 At death, the Decedent owned a vendor’s interest under a contract of sale for the following real estate located in County, (state): 17.Al l creditors of the Estate have been paid in full, or their claims have been otherwise satisfied, or they have received mailed notice at their last known addresses and have failed to fil e timely claims. The Personal Representative has exercised reasonably diligent efforts to ascertain the existence of all claims. No lien continues to exist on any property as security for any claim [except as noted below]: (explain the nature of the lien and the property encumbered) 18.__ Optional Paragraph (check only if the Decedent's Will was admitted to probate and then select an option below): __ Option 1 Notice of the admission of the Decedent's Will to probate and of the appointment of the Personal Representative, and notice of the time by which an action to set aside the Will must be brought has been provided in accordance with la w to the Decedent's heirs, the devisees under t he Decedent's Will, [and the Decedent's surviving spouse,] t o the extent that the identities of such persons are reasonably ascertainable. __ Option 2 All of the Decedent's heirs, t he devisees under the Decedent's Will, [ __ and the Decedent's surviving spouse,] whose identities are reasonably ascertainable, have waived notice of the admission of the Decedent's Will t o probate and of t he appointment of the Personal Representative and notice of the time by which an action to se t aside the Will must be brought, a nd such waivers are on file. 19.__ Option 1 The assets of this Estate available for distribution have been distributed to the Distributees entitled to such assets and each Distributee has executed a Receipt for such distributive share and the Receipts are on file. __ Option 2 The assets of this Estate available for distribution will be distributed to the Distributees entitled to such assets [ __ in accordance with the attached Final Distribution Plan marked as Exhibit __ __ _ ] and a Receipt will be filed by each Distributee. _______________________________________________________________________ (legal description) PMF 601 20.__ Optional Paragraph (for use if the Will made provision for a trust) Decedent's Will made provision for a trust in Article _____ and, __ Option 1: The Article Trust is one which is administered solely or jointly by a bank or trust company, neither the Trustee nor the beneficiaries of the Trust have chosen to invoke the jurisdiction of this court, and the Trustee has chosen to administer the Trust as a non-court trust, pursuant to the provisions of Iowa Code §633.10(4). The Will does not mandate that the Trust be made the subject of this court's jurisdiction. __ Option 2: The Will provides that the Trust shall not be made the subject of this court's jurisdiction. 21.__ Option 1 The undersigned has been informed of the right to request an itemization of services performed, time spent for services, and responsibilities assumed by the attorney with respect to this Estate and has elected not to request the itemization. __ Option 2 The undersigned requested an itemization of services performed, time spent for services, and responsibilities assumed by the attorney with respect to this Estate and such itemization is attached and marked Exhibit . 22.All costs of administration have been paid [except for final court costs, Personal Representative and attorney fees and costs]. Funeral, burial, medical and hospital expenses of the Decedent have also been paid. The Estate has been fully administered in accordance with law and the orders of this Court. The work of the Personal Representative [except for final distribution] has been completed and the undersigned should be discharged [and the bond released] and this Estate should now be settled and closed. 23.I certify under penalty of perjury and pursuant to the laws of the State of Iowa that the preceding is true and correct. WHEREFORE, the Personal Representative requests that the Court: 1.__ Option 1 Approve the Final Report without further notice. __ Option 2 Enter an order fixing the time and place for hearing on this Final Report and prescribing notice. 2.Approve and confirm all acts of the Personal Representative. 3. __ OPTIONAL Approve and confirm that the Article Trust established under the Decedent's Will is not the subject of this court's jurisdiction, unless such jurisdiction is later invoked by the trustee or any beneficiary. 4.__ Option 1 Release and discharge the Personal Representative. __ Option 2 Authorize and direct the Personal Representative to make final distribution [ __ in accordance with the attached Final Distribution Plan] and to secure receipts from all Distributees and (select one) . PMF 601 __ OPTION A direct the Personal Representative to file the receipts and an Application for Discharge. __ OPTION B direct that upon filing of the receipts (or other evidence of distribution) the Personal Representative shall be discharged without further notice. 5. Enter any additional orders as may be necessary. Personal Representative (12/17) COMMENTS 1.Attach the following exhibits if applicable (a) an accounting; (b) itemization of services, if not waived; and (c) Final Distribution Plan, if applicable. 2.Fees for ordinary and extraordinary services can be included in the Final Report. Verify that applicable affidavits of compensation are on file. See PMF 407, PMF 407A, PMF 410, PMF 411 and PMF 412. 3.In some districts, it is common to provide for discharge upon the subsequent filing of final receipts without the necessity of an additional order. 4.All waivers, receipts, tax acquittances, and tax closing letters should be filed separately. 5.The requirements of the Final Report are described in §633.477. 6.If notice of hearing on the Final Report is not waived by all interested parties, file proof of service of notice. See §§633.40, 633.44, 633.478. 7.Final Reports may be verified, acknowledged or certified. §633.35. 8.Consider adding a paragraph advising that proper notice has been given to estate recovery. See §§633.231, 633.304A. 9.Consider adding a paragraph describing where and when notice was published and when notice was mailed (Reference Affidavit of Mailing Notice for particulars). 10.House File 245 – An Act Relating to the Status of Posthumously Conceived and Born Children became effective on July 1, 2011. Beginning on July 1, 2011, Probate Code §633.447 requires the Personal Representative to disclose the existence of genetic material asp art of the Final Report and state whether the Personal Representative is holding any assets in reserve for potential distribution to posthumously conceived heirs.