HMRC & Probate shock!

[TotallyUnexpected]

I've name changed for this as I've been telling all & sundry so could be very outing but I thought I'd share it with fellow Mumsnetters to give hope during difficult times.

Dealing with my mother's estate, I sent off the IHT400 forms, other IHT4** forms & a ton of paperwork to HMRC on 14th May.

HMRC contacted me on 4th June stating they were happy with the paperwork, giving me the references to allow me to apply for probate.

I sent off the application for probate on 18th June.

2nd July an email from HMRC arrived stating that they had received my application & it would take up to 16 weeks to deal with.

6th July I receive another email from HMRC telling me that probate had been approved & I would get the paperwork in 10 working days.

FOUR DAYS!!!

Probate application paperwork would've been sent off earlier but my fellow executor was away.

I am delighted as it's been balls-achingly bad so far with all the IHT forms but yes, HMRC have proved that they can deal with these things swiftly if they put their minds to it.

I just hope that other families that are going through of this get treated as well as I did.

@TotallyUnexpected

im sorry to hear about your Mum 🌷

But I'm glad this been so efficient for you. There's just so much to deal with, anything that's efficient helps a lot!!

I'd heard all sorts of nightmares, of people waiting 6+ months, HMRC still using Covid as an excuse for shoddy service which is why it's all been such a shock.
I just hope that other families have my experience rather than it hanging round their necks when they least need it.

Now I'm hoping that the Office of the Public Guardian are equally speedy with my Dad's POA application...

It was under 2 weeks here too. The main problem was preparing the forms!

Guess it's area dependent, our solicitor sent the paperwork off for my father's estate 3 months ago and it hasn't gone through yet.

I'm glad it's been quick for you - sadly this is not the case for many people that I know that have been through this process

@YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake

I'm so sorry to hear that. You have to wonder how things are organised, why it's such a postcode lottery.

I hope you hear back from them soon.

I waited almost a year for the DVLA to renew my medical licence.
I chased up after a month - spent 90mins on hold - just to confirm that it was in their system.
(I knew they'd received it as I'd sent it special delivery)
It was a further 4 months before they contacted my specialists then 7 months before they sent me a new licence!

When I did my DF’s probate just after the second lockdown when we were emerging from Covid it took something like ten days. I was amazed and it’s such a sad time it’s a relief if at least the admin is easy. I assumed the speed in my case was a quirk of Covid times, which had made everything else much harder :(.
I have heard of very difficult situations where it takes months and months and the demand to pay any IHT owing arrives before it’s possible to pay. Your situation is probably like mine where your mum’s estate is going to your father so is probably one of the cases they all want to be assigned. You probably did a good job of filling out the forms correctly, easy to miss something.
I’m sorry about your mother 💐

We’ve been waiting over 18 months for DHs uncles probate to be sorted. Dh is a solicitor so everything was in order and we’ve already paid the iht..

To be honest dread fills my body when I have to do anything with HMRC, so loosing a loved one as a reason to having to contact them I would assume would have sucked my hope dry, so that was so lucky and glad it was an easy process at such a hard time.

sorry for your loss.

Blimey! That’s excellent. Mine took almost 6 months and there was nothing complicated.

I think it depends a lot on who the inheritors are.

Probate for a spouse is often not even necessary and can go through pretty quickly.

If you have a complex situation with lots of investments and a lot of relatives it can take a lot longer.

My dad’s was granted within 6 weeks of us sending the forms off, however four weeks AFTER probate had been granted our solicitor had a letter saying they were going to send an independent valuer to look at the property, and it took another month to come and a further month for his report (which agreed with the valuations we’d had!)

I paid a lump sum to HMRC last October to bump up my state pension. Apparently it will be this September before they action it.
They managed to cash the chq within a week though. 😂

Sorry for loss. HMRC were quick with probate for us too lately, under 6 weeks. Does seem to be luck of the draw!

That's unreal, I'm so sorry to hear that.

Dealt with my mum's probate in 5 weeks, could not fault them

My local estate agents all said they wouldn't undervalue the house for IHT purposes (I didn't know this was a thing) as too many cases had been queried...

They really are a law unto themselves but very happy to take our money...

Pleased to hear, there are success stories out there. We are in the third year and have been treated appallingly! The system is flawed on so many levels!

I don't understand why they want IHT paying before the money is released.
Just seems wrong that the executors/family have to pay money on a taxed estate before you have access to that money.
But the HMRC always wins...

Well you do have access to the money as executor. The payment of the iht has to be made within 6 months from memory and it comes from the estate not the beneficiary’s pocket.

it’s horrendously frustrating. In our case DH doesn’t desperately need the money but the other beneficiary had wanted to use it towards a house and I suspect it will be two years before she sees any money.

10 days here, came through last week - very uncomplicated though. They said it would take 16 weeks.

I'm about to send the IHT forms off soon, I hope it does go smoothly.

There's no inheritance tax to pay due to children inheriting the paper work is insane .

Glad things seem to be improving. My dad’s took 10 months to come through (last year) even though it was very simple.