Nevada Probate Accounting | Settled Estate

One core duty of a Nevada personal representative, whether you serve as executor with a will or administrator without one, is keeping and sharing a clear financial record of the estate. Beneficiaries have a legal right to know what was in the estate, what came in, what was paid out, and how the final distributions were calculated. Nevada estates run through the District Court of the county where the person lived, and the court reviews your account before it approves distribution. A personal representative who fails to account properly faces court proceedings, personal liability, and possible removal.

This guide covers the Nevada inventory deadline, how accountings work in general administration, what an accounting must contain, and how the estate is formally closed.

Why Accounting Matters

The accounting requirement grows out of the personal representative's fiduciary duty. Under NRS Chapter 143 you manage someone else's property on behalf of the estate and its beneficiaries, you must keep estate money separate from your own, and you must report to the District Court. Transparency is not optional.

Accounting also protects you. A well-documented account shows that you followed the rules, paid debts in the priority order Nevada law sets, and distributed assets as the will or Nevada intestacy law directs. Without a clear record, you are exposed to claims that you mismanaged or misapplied estate funds.

The Inventory: Your First Mandatory Filing

Before any final accounting is due, the personal representative must file an inventory and appraisement of the estate's assets with the District Court, through the County Clerk who serves as Clerk of the District Court. This is required by NRS 144.010.

Deadline: Within 120 days after your letters issue, unless the court extends the time for good cause shown. The clock runs from the issuance of letters, not from the date of death.

Contents of the inventory:

All assets of the decedent that have come into your possession or knowledge, valued as of the date of death
Real property, financial accounts, vehicles, business interests, and other personal property of value
Property the estate has a claim to, such as money owed to the decedent

Community property step. Under NRS 144.040, the inventory must identify which property is community property and which is the decedent's separate property. Nevada is a community property state, so only the decedent's one-half of the community plus the separate property is administered.

Appraisal. Many assets must be appraised, and the court can appoint an appraiser for property that needs one. Date-of-death value also sets the stepped-up basis for capital gains when an asset is later sold, so establish values promptly.

Redacted and supplemental filings. You may file a redacted inventory that protects account numbers, Social Security numbers, and values, with the full version available to the court and interested persons on request. If a new asset turns up later, you file a supplemental inventory.

How Nevada Accountings Work

Nevada has no separate probate court and no Virginia-style Commissioner of Accounts. The District Court reviews inventories and accountings directly, and the County Clerk is where you file.

General (full) administration. The personal representative files an account with the clerk, supported by proof of the receipts and disbursements it reports, under NRS Chapter 150. The court reviews the account, and interested persons receive notice and a chance to object before the court settles it. Most estates file one final account that sets up distribution, while longer or contested estates file interim accounts along the way.

Summary administration. When the gross estate, after deducting encumbrances, does not exceed $500,000, the District Court may order summary administration under NRS 145.040. This is still a court-supervised probate that ends in a court-reviewed final account, but it runs on a reduced timeline, including a shorter creditor claim window.

Set aside without administration. When the gross estate does not exceed $150,000, the court may set the estate aside to the persons entitled under NRS 146.070 without full administration, which skips the formal accounting entirely.

Affidavit of entitlement. The small-estate affidavit under NRS 146.080 skips the court altogether, so there is no court accounting at all.

The $500,000, $150,000, and small-estate figures were raised by Senate Bill 404 of 2025, effective October 1, 2025, and are keyed to your filing date. Confirm the current number before you rely on a threshold.

What Goes in a Probate Accounting

Whether the court requires it or an interested person requests it, a proper Nevada estate accounting has four main parts.

1. Beginning Inventory Value

The starting point for the accounting period: the value from the filed inventory and appraisement, or the ending balance from the previous account.

2. Receipts

Everything the estate received during the period:

Cash collected from bank, investment, and other financial accounts
Income earned by estate assets after death, such as interest, dividends, and rent
Proceeds from the sale of estate property
Insurance proceeds and tax refunds paid to the estate

3. Disbursements

Every payment made from estate funds:

Funeral and last-illness costs
Valid creditor claims paid, noting the priority class of each
Attorney compensation and the personal representative's commission
Court filing fees, publication, appraisal costs, and other administration expenses
Tax payments and any partial distributions made during administration

4. Distributions and Ending Balance

The property distributed to each beneficiary and the balance still on hand. At the final account, the numbers should reconcile so the court can trace every dollar in and every dollar out.

When Beneficiaries Can Demand an Accounting

In a general administration, interested persons, including beneficiaries, heirs, and creditors, receive notice of the account and a chance to object before the District Court settles it. The account is a public part of the court file, so beneficiaries can see what you reported.

If a personal representative delays or refuses to account, an interested person can petition the District Court to compel one. The court reviews the reporting duties set out in NRS Chapter 143 and the accounting requirements of NRS Chapter 150. If a personal representative refuses to account or files a materially false account, the court can remove them and surcharge them to make the estate whole. Because Nevada sets a target of closing the estate within 18 months of appointment under NRS 143.037, an account that keeps stalling invites court intervention.

The Final Accounting and Closing the Estate

The estate closes with a final account. After the estate has been administered, valid debts and taxes are paid, and the creditor claim period has closed (90 days after first publication in a general administration, or 60 days under summary administration, per NRS 147.040), the personal representative files a final account and petitions for an order of final distribution under NRS Chapter 150.

Interested persons receive notice and a chance to object, and the court settles the account before it orders distribution. The personal representative's commission is fixed by NRS 150.020 (4 percent of the first $15,000, 3 percent of the next $85,000, and 2 percent above $100,000 of the estate accounted for), and attorney compensation is set under NRS 150.060, both subject to court approval.

The court will not order distribution until it settles the account. Once it enters the order of final distribution, you distribute the property, obtain signed receipts, and ask the court to discharge you.

Protecting Yourself as Executor

Open a dedicated estate bank account. Run every estate transaction through it and never mix estate funds with your own. NRS Chapter 143 requires you to keep estate money separate.

Date everything. Note when you received a claim, paid a bill, or made a distribution. Timing drives most accounting disputes.

Keep the supporting paper. Save receipts, invoices, bank statements, and vouchers for every transaction so each line of the account can be proven.

Communicate with beneficiaries. An informed beneficiary is far less likely to object or petition the court. A short, regular update prevents most disputes.

Document difficult decisions. If you rejected a creditor claim, negotiated a debt, or chose not to pursue an asset, write down your reasoning at the time. A contemporaneous note is far more credible than a later explanation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Nevada executor have to file an accounting with the court?

In a general administration, yes. The District Court reviews your account, supported by proof of receipts and disbursements, before it approves distribution under NRS Chapter 150. A set aside without administration and the small-estate affidavit skip the formal accounting, and summary administration runs a lighter, court-supervised version.

When is the Nevada inventory due?

Within 120 days after your letters issue, under NRS 144.010, unless the court extends the time for good cause. It must identify community versus separate property under NRS 144.040.

Can beneficiaries object to the accounting?

Yes. Interested persons receive notice of the account and can object before the court settles it. If the personal representative will not account, an interested person can petition the District Court to compel one.

What happens if an executor never files an account?

An interested person can petition the District Court to compel the account. If the personal representative mismanaged the estate, the court can remove them and impose a surcharge to compensate the estate for any loss.

Sources

Title: NRS 144.010 and NRS 144.040, Inventory and appraisement filed within 120 days; community and separate property. Publisher: Nevada Legislature. Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-06-24. URL: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-144.html
Title: NRS Chapter 150, Compensation and accounting; final account and order of distribution (including NRS 150.020 and NRS 150.060). Publisher: Nevada Legislature. Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-06-24. URL: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-150.html
Title: NRS 147.040, Time to file creditor claims (90 days general; 60 days under summary administration). Publisher: Nevada Legislature. Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-06-24. URL: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-147.html
Title: NRS 145.040 and NRS 146.070, Summary administration and set aside without administration. Publisher: Nevada Legislature. Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-06-24. URL: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-145.html
Title: NRS Chapter 143 (including NRS 143.035 and NRS 143.037), Powers and duties of personal representatives; reasonable diligence and the 18-month target. Publisher: Nevada Legislature. Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-06-24. URL: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-143.html
Title: Nevada Revised Statutes Title 12, Wills and Estates of Deceased Persons. Publisher: Nevada Legislature. Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-06-24. URL: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/

This guide is general information about probate accounting in Nevada. Individual circumstances vary, and local District Court practice differs by county, so confirm your accounting and deadlines with the County Clerk or a licensed Nevada attorney. It is not legal advice.