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Direct answer: First get several certified copies of the death certificate. The funeral home usually reports the death to Social Security, which tells Medicare. Then notify VA, pensions, banks, insurers and one credit bureau. Return any Social Security payment for the month of death. The final Form 1040 is due April 15 after the year of death.
By the numbers: Social Security cannot pay benefits for the month of a recipient's death: if the person died in July, the payment received in August must be returned. Source: USAGov: Report the death of a Social Security beneficiary (updated Aug. 31, 2026)
“A spouse might get a one-time death benefit payment of $255.” — SSA: Lump-sum death payment
Updated 2026-10-23
Usually the funeral home reports the death to Social Security, which also tells Medicare. If not, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213; deaths can't be reported online. Then notify VA if the person was a veteran, DFAS for military retirees, OPM for federal retirees, employers and pensions, banks, insurers, and one credit bureau (it tells the other two).
Yes. Social Security can't pay for the month of death, and benefits are paid the month after. If the person died in July, the August payment must be returned. If it was direct deposit, ask the bank to send it back to SSA.
A surviving spouse who lived with the person, or a spouse getting benefits on their record. If there's no spouse, a child who can get benefits on the record (17 or younger, 18-19 in school full time, or disabled before 22). Apply within 2 years of the death by phone at 1-800-772-1213.
The final Form 1040 covers income up to the date of death and is due April 15 of the year after the death, moved to the next business day after a weekend or D.C. holiday. A surviving spouse can file a joint return for that year. Use Form 1310 to claim a refund unless you are the spouse filing jointly or a court-appointed representative.
Usually not. The CFPB says debts are paid from the estate, and if the estate can't pay they usually go unpaid. You can be responsible if you co-signed, held a joint account, or state law (such as community property rules) says so. Collectors can't say you must pay from your own money.
Only if the gross estate plus lifetime taxable gifts exceeds the filing threshold for the year of death ($15,000,000 for 2026, $13,990,000 for 2025), or to pass the unused exclusion to a surviving spouse (portability). Form 706 is due 9 months after death; a 6-month extension to file is available.
As of Oct. 23, 2026
When someone dies, a few things are urgent and most can wait a few weeks. This checklist puts the steps in order: death certificates and the funeral, who to notify, money that has to go back or can be claimed, the final tax returns, and what happens to debts. It uses official sources (Social Security, IRS, VA, CFPB, FTC and USAGov) and gives you the key dates from the date of death.
Sources: SSA: when someone dies · USAGov: report to SSA · SSA: $255 lump sum · IRS: final returns · CFPB: debts after a death · Equifax.
Enter the date of death to see the deadlines that follow from it. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent or saved.
EXAMPLE Made-up case: a death on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. The November 2026 Social Security payment goes back; the $255 claim is due by Oct. 23, 2028; the final 1040 is due April 15, 2027; and a Form 706, if needed, is due July 23, 2027. Sources: USAGov: report to SSA · SSA Handbook 1517 · 26 U.S.C. 7503 · 26 CFR 301.7503-1 · D.C. Code 28-2701 · 26 CFR 20.6075-1 · IRS Pub. 559.
| Who | How | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security (and Medicare) | Usually the funeral home. Otherwise call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-7 p.m., or visit an office. Not online. | Stops payments, tells Medicare, starts survivor benefits. USAGov: report to SSA |
| VA (if a veteran) | Call 800-827-1000 and select 5 (Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-9 p.m. ET), visit a VA regional office, or mail the VA Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444. | Stops VA payments so the family doesn't get a debt later; ask about burial benefits. VA: report a death |
| DFAS (military retiree) | Retired and Annuitant Pay, 800-321-1080, Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET. | Stops retired pay and starts Survivor Benefit Plan forms. DFAS: report a death |
| OPM (federal employee or retiree) | Report the death to the Office of Personnel Management. | Stops the annuity and handles survivor annuities. USAGov: who to notify |
| Employer, pension, life insurers | Call each with the death certificate ready. | Final pay, group life insurance and survivor pension claims. |
| Banks, card issuers, brokers | Call or visit each with a death certificate. | Freeze or close accounts; joint and POD accounts pass to the survivor. USAGov: who to notify |
| One credit bureau | Send a death certificate copy with the person's legal name, SSN, birth and death dates (spouse or legal representative). | A deceased notice helps stop identity theft; the bureau tells the other two. Equifax · Experian |
| DMV, passport, voter registration | State DMV; return the passport to the State Department; the local election office. | Cancel to prevent identity theft and fraud. USAGov: who to notify |
| State benefits | SNAP, TANF, Medicaid or rental assistance office. | Stop benefits the person was getting. USAGov: who to notify |
| Utilities, subscriptions | Each company. | Transfer or cancel service. |
| Year of death | Estate tax return filing threshold |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $11,580,000 |
| 2021 | $11,700,000 |
| 2022 | $12,060,000 |
| 2023 | $12,920,000 |
| 2024 | $13,610,000 |
| 2025 | $13,990,000 |
| 2026 | $15,000,000 |
2026 amount set by P.L. 119-21; later years are adjusted for inflation. Some states have their own estate or inheritance tax: state estate tax · inheritance tax states. Sources: IRS: estate tax FAQ · IRS: what's new (estate).
Debts are paid from the person's estate, in an order set by state law. If the estate runs out, most remaining debts go unpaid. The CFPB says family members are not usually responsible unless they co-signed, were a joint account holder (an authorized user doesn't count), or state law says so, such as community property rules for a spouse in Alaska (if elected), Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Collectors may contact the spouse or executor but can't suggest you must pay from your own money.
Sources: CFPB: debts after a death. More: debt collectors and a relative's debts.
Retirement accounts, life insurance, and bank or brokerage accounts with a payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) beneficiary generally go straight to the person named on the form, not through the will. Joint accounts with survivorship pass to the other owner. Everything else may go through probate in the state where the person lived, run by the executor named in the will or someone the court appoints. Beneficiaries of an inherited IRA or 401(k) have their own deadlines.
More: Beneficiary designations + inherited account deadlines · Wills & estate basics · Will vs living trust.
Related: Survivor benefits · Beneficiary designations · Unclaimed money · Debt collectors · Estate hub.
Facts, not legal or tax advice. We summarize federal agency guidance with dates. Probate, inheritance and debt rules vary by state; an estate attorney or the probate court clerk in the county where the person lived can explain your state's steps. The date tool is arithmetic, not a ruling. We don't link to or get paid by funeral homes, attorneys, insurers or estate services.
Usually the funeral home reports the death to Social Security, which also tells Medicare. If not, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213; deaths can't be reported online. Then notify VA if the person was a veteran, DFAS for military retirees, OPM for federal retirees, employers and pensions, banks, insurers, and one credit bureau (it tells the other two).
Yes. Social Security can't pay for the month of death, and benefits are paid the month after. If the person died in July, the August payment must be returned. If it was direct deposit, ask the bank to send it back to SSA.
A surviving spouse who lived with the person, or a spouse getting benefits on their record. If there's no spouse, a child who can get benefits on the record (17 or younger, 18-19 in school full time, or disabled before 22). Apply within 2 years of the death by phone at 1-800-772-1213.
The final Form 1040 covers income up to the date of death and is due April 15 of the year after the death, moved to the next business day after a weekend or D.C. holiday. A surviving spouse can file a joint return for that year. Use Form 1310 to claim a refund unless you are the spouse filing jointly or a court-appointed representative.
Usually not. The CFPB says debts are paid from the estate, and if the estate can't pay they usually go unpaid. You can be responsible if you co-signed, held a joint account, or state law (such as community property rules) says so. Collectors can't say you must pay from your own money.
Only if the gross estate plus lifetime taxable gifts exceeds the filing threshold for the year of death ($15,000,000 for 2026, $13,990,000 for 2025), or to pass the unused exclusion to a surviving spouse (portability). Form 706 is due 9 months after death; a 6-month extension to file is available.
Education only, not legal or tax advice. Laws and benefit rules come from state statutes, courts and federal agencies with dates; talk with a licensed attorney in your state before you act.