Virginia Probate Accounting

One of the core duties of a Virginia executor or administrator is keeping and sharing a clear financial record of the estate. What makes Virginia different from most states is who reviews that record. You do not report to a probate judge. After you qualify before the Clerk of the Circuit Court, a court-appointed Commissioner of Accounts audits your inventory and your yearly accounts. This guide explains what you must report, when each filing is due, and how a clean accounting protects both the beneficiaries and you.

If you are still mapping the whole process, start with the Virginia probate guide and the Virginia executor duties guide.

Why Accounting Matters

The accounting requirement is rooted in the executor's fiduciary duty. You are managing someone else's property on behalf of the estate and its beneficiaries. Transparency is not optional, and in Virginia it is supervised: the Commissioner of Accounts performs a desk audit of every figure you report.

Accounting also protects the executor. A well-documented account shows that you followed the rules, paid debts in the proper order, and distributed only what the estate could support. Without clean records, you are exposed to claims that you mismanaged estate funds, and a personal representative who commingles estate money with personal money or distributes too early can face personal liability.

Two filings drive the whole process in Virginia, and both go to the Commissioner of Accounts, not the Clerk: the inventory first, then the accounts.

The Inventory

Before any account is due, the personal representative files an inventory of the estate's assets with the Commissioner of Accounts on Form CC-1670. This is required by Va. Code § 64.2-1300.

Deadline: Within four months after the date of qualification (the order conferring authority). If you discover an asset later, you report it within four months of finding it.

What the inventory lists:

Real property the estate must account for, with a description and the fair market value as of the date of death
Financial accounts in the estate's name (bank accounts, investment accounts, and similar assets), at their date-of-death value
Tangible personal property of significant value (vehicles, jewelry, art, collectibles, business interests)
Any debts or claims owed to the decedent

Where it goes: File the inventory with the Commissioner of Accounts for the jurisdiction where you qualified, in the county or independent city where the person lived. Independent cities are their own jurisdictions in Virginia, not part of any county. The Clerk handles qualification and recording; the Commissioner handles the audit. For the line-by-line process, see the Virginia estate inventory guide.

The inventory sets the starting point. Every later account is measured against it, so accuracy here saves rework.

The Commissioner of Accounts and Annual Accountings

This is the part that catches Virginia executors off guard. In many states an independent executor answers to beneficiaries only when asked. In Virginia, a Commissioner of Accounts appointed by the Circuit Court audits your bookkeeping on a fixed schedule whether or not anyone complains.

The first account. Your first account is generally due within 16 months after qualification. It covers the first 12-month accounting period plus the time to prepare and file. You file it on Form CC-1680 with the Commissioner of Accounts. This schedule is set by Va. Code § 64.2-1304.

Annual accounts after that. Once the first account is filed, you file an account each year, generally within four months after the close of each 12-month accounting period, until the estate is fully settled. Each account must also cover any earlier period you have not yet accounted for.

The Commissioner's review. The Commissioner performs a desk audit. The numbers must reconcile, and every disbursement needs a voucher or verified proof. If the account does not balance or documentation is missing, the Commissioner returns it with exceptions for you to correct.

The cost of missing a filing. Late accounts have real consequences. A fiduciary who fails to file a required account within four months after the end of an accounting year may forfeit compensation for that year under Va. Code § 64.2-1217, and a missed filing can draw a show-cause summons before the Commissioner and the Circuit Court. Confirm your exact due dates with your Commissioner of Accounts. The Virginia accounting and distribution guide covers the CC-1680 filing in detail.

What Goes in a Probate Accounting

Whether it is a first, annual, or final account, a proper Virginia estate account has the same core components. Everything must tie back to a voucher, statement, or receipt.

1. Beginning Balance

The starting point for the period: the value from the filed inventory for a first account, or the ending balance carried forward from the previous account.

2. Receipts

Everything that came into the estate during the accounting period:

Cash collected from bank and investment accounts in the estate's name
Income earned by estate assets after death (interest, dividends, rent)
Proceeds from the sale of estate property
Refunds and other money received by the estate

3. Disbursements

Every payment made from estate funds, each supported by a voucher:

Funeral and burial expenses paid
Valid debts and creditor claims paid
Administration costs (probate tax, clerk and Commissioner fees, appraisal costs)
Fiduciary compensation and any attorney fees, subject to Commissioner approval
Tax payments, including the decedent's final income tax if paid from the estate

4. Distributions and Ending Balance

Amounts or assets distributed to each beneficiary, with signed receipts, and the assets remaining on hand. The final account should reconcile to zero, or close to it, once distribution is complete.

When Beneficiaries Can Demand an Accounting

Virginia builds beneficiary protection into the Commissioner of Accounts process rather than leaving it to a private demand. Because your inventory and accounts are filed with and audited by the Commissioner, an interested person has a public, supervised record to review.

A beneficiary, heir, or creditor who believes an account is wrong can file written exceptions with the Commissioner of Accounts and ask for a hearing. The Commissioner weighs the objection as part of the audit. If you fail to file an account at all, an interested person can prompt the Commissioner to issue a show-cause summons compelling you to account, and continued failure can lead the court to remove you and require you to repay any loss to the estate.

In practice, keeping beneficiaries informed with short, regular updates reduces the chance that anyone files exceptions. An informed beneficiary rarely needs to escalate to the Commissioner.

The Final Accounting and Closing the Estate

The estate closes through a final account, not a private wind-down. After creditor debts are resolved, taxes are handled, and distributions are made, you file a final account on Form CC-1680 with the Commissioner of Accounts showing that the estate has been fully administered and that nothing remains on hand.

The Commissioner reviews the final account, confirms every figure is supported, and, when it is in order, files a report approving it with the Circuit Court. Once the court confirms the Commissioner's report and the required time passes without exception, the estate is settled and your duties as fiduciary end. Do not make final distributions before the Commissioner has reviewed and accepted the account covering that period, because distributing early can leave you personally liable for a later valid claim.

Before you distribute and close, confirm that notice of probate went out, the inventory was accepted, creditor debts and any debts-and-demands step were handled, and any surviving spouse elective-share window was addressed. The Virginia creditor claims guide covers the debts-and-demands process that clears the way for distribution.

Protecting Yourself as Executor

Open a separate estate account on day one. Run every estate transaction through it and never mix estate money with personal money. This single habit is what keeps your accounts clean for the Commissioner.

Save every voucher and receipt. The Commissioner audits your numbers and needs proof for each disbursement. Keep documentation for every dollar in and every dollar out from the first day.

Date everything. Note when you received a claim, when you paid a bill, and when you distributed. Timelines decide many accounting questions.

Track the four-month and 16-month deadlines. The inventory is due within four months of qualification and the first account within 16 months. Missing filings can bring a show-cause summons and cost you compensation.

Ask the Commissioner about procedure, not strategy. The Commissioner's office can explain what a filing must contain and how to submit it, but it cannot advise you on what to do in your specific situation. For that, a Virginia probate attorney is the right resource.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who reviews a Virginia probate accounting?

A court-appointed Commissioner of Accounts, not a probate judge. After you qualify before the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Commissioner audits your inventory and your accounts and reports to the Circuit Court.

When is the first accounting due in Virginia?

The first account is generally due within 16 months after qualification, filed on Form CC-1680 with the Commissioner of Accounts under Va. Code § 64.2-1304. After that, you file an account each year until the estate is settled.

What happens if I file an account late?

A fiduciary who fails to file a required account within four months after the end of an accounting year may forfeit compensation for that year under Va. Code § 64.2-1217, and a missed filing can draw a show-cause summons before the Commissioner and the court.

Can beneficiaries object to my accounting?

Yes. Because accounts are filed with the Commissioner of Accounts, a beneficiary, heir, or creditor can file written exceptions and ask for a hearing. If you never file, an interested person can prompt a show-cause summons to compel you to account.

Virginia Executor Duties - the full fiduciary task list in deadline order
Virginia Estate Inventory - the CC-1670 filing due within four months
Virginia Accounting and Distribution - the CC-1680 account and when you can distribute
Virginia Creditor Claims - the debts-and-demands process before distribution
Virginia Probate Costs - the probate tax, clerk fees, and Commissioner of Accounts fees
Virginia Probate Guide - how a Virginia estate moves through the Clerk of the Circuit Court

Sources

Title: Va. Code § 64.2-1300, Inventory. Publisher: Code of Virginia (Virginia Law). Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-07-01. URL: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter13/section64.2-1300/
Title: Va. Code § 64.2-1304, Personal representatives' accounts. Publisher: Code of Virginia (Virginia Law). Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-07-01. URL: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter13/section64.2-1304/
Title: Va. Code § 64.2-1217, Forfeiture of fiduciary's commission. Publisher: Code of Virginia (Virginia Law). Publication Date: Current official code, accessed 2026-07-01. URL: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter12/section64.2-1217/
Title: Probate in Virginia, Administration of Estates. Publisher: Virginia's Judicial System (vacourts.gov). Publication Date: Current court resource, accessed 2026-07-01. URL: https://www.vacourts.gov/static/courts/circuit/resources/probate_in_virginia.pdf
Title: Account for Decedent's Estate (Form CC-1680). Publisher: Virginia Circuit Court. Publication Date: Official court form, accessed 2026-07-01. URL: https://www.vacourts.gov/forms/circuit/cc1680.pdf

This guide provides general information about Virginia probate accounting. Individual circumstances vary, and local practice differs by county and independent city. Confirm your steps with the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Commissioner of Accounts, or a licensed Virginia attorney. It is not legal advice.