What expenses can I claim during estate administration?

If you're acting as executor, you've probably already spent your own money on something: a death certificate, a tank of petrol to clear the house, postage for a stack of letters to the bank. It adds up faster than people expect, and it's normal to wonder what you're entitled to claim back.

The short answer is reassuring. You're allowed to recover the costs of doing the job. What you're not allowed to do is pay yourself for your time, unless the will says otherwise. This guide walks through what you can claim, what you can't, and what beneficiaries are entitled to see along the way.

The basic principle

Being an executor is unpaid work, but it shouldn't cost you money out of your own pocket. The law draws a clear line here:

Out-of-pocket expenses (money you spend doing the job) can be reimbursed from the estate.
Your time and effort cannot be charged for, unless the will specifically includes a charging clause that names you (or a professional executor) as entitled to a fee.

This applies the same way across England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The principle is sometimes called the rule against "self-dealing": an executor administers the estate for the benefit of the beneficiaries, not for their own gain, beyond getting their genuine costs back.

Expenses you can usually claim

These are the everyday costs of administering an estate, and they're typically reimbursed without any argument:

Registering the death and getting documents

Death certificates and additional certified copies
Certified copies of the grant of probate (or Confirmation in Scotland)

Valuing and securing the estate

Professional valuations (property, jewellery, vehicles, antiques)
Changing the locks on an empty property
Building insurance for a vacant property
Storage costs for furniture or possessions awaiting sale or distribution
Reasonable travel to visit the property, meet valuers, or attend appointments connected to the estate

Selling property and other assets

Estate agent and conveyancing fees on a property sale
Auction or clearance house fees
Costs of preparing a property for sale, where this is necessary to get a fair price

Postage, copying, and admin

Postage and printing for letters to banks, HMRC, and other institutions
Bank charges on an executor's account
Probate application fees and the fees for official copies of the grant

Professional help

Solicitor's fees, if you've brought one in for part of the process
Accountant's fees for tax returns relating to the estate
Specialist valuers for unusual assets

Funeral costs Funeral expenses are paid from the estate before anything else, including before most other debts. If you paid for the funeral yourself, keep the invoice and any receipts. You're entitled to be reimbursed first, once estate funds are available.

The test the courts apply is whether a cost was reasonable and necessary for administering the estate. A train fare to view the house is reasonable. A first-class flight to do the same thing probably isn't.

Expenses you cannot claim

A few things trip people up, often with the best of intentions:

Your own time. Hours spent sorting through paperwork, visiting the property, or speaking to relatives don't convert into a fee, however many of them there were. This holds even if you've taken time off paid work to do it.
Costs unrelated to the estate. A meal out after a difficult day, or fuel for a trip that wasn't strictly necessary for estate business, sits outside what can be claimed.
Anything that benefits you personally rather than the estate. If you live in the property while it's being sold, the estate doesn't pay your living costs.
Speculative or unauthorised spending. Renovating a house to increase its sale price might be reasonable in some cases, but it's worth getting agreement from the other executors or beneficiaries first. Spending estate money without being able to justify the benefit to the estate can come back to you personally.

If you're ever unsure whether something counts, the safest approach is to ask: did I spend this money to administer the estate, or because it was convenient for me? If it's the second one, don't claim it.

How to keep yourself protected

You're personally liable if you get this wrong, even unintentionally, so it's worth doing a few simple things from the start:

Open a separate executor's account. Keep estate money apart from your own. Mixing funds is one of the most common sources of dispute, even when nothing improper has happened.
Keep every receipt. A shoebox of receipts is fine, as long as nothing goes missing. A photo on your phone the moment you pay for something works just as well.
Note what each expense was for. "Petrol, 14 March, drove to the house to meet the estate agent" takes ten seconds to write and saves a difficult conversation later.
Reimburse yourself from the estate, not in advance. Pay for things personally where you need to, then claim the money back once estate funds are accessible, rather than the other way round.

What beneficiaries are entitled to see

Beneficiaries have a right to understand how the estate is being handled, and as executor, it's part of the job to be able to show them.

Estate accounts. A clear summary of what came into the estate, what went out (including your expenses), and what's left to distribute. It's not always a strict legal requirement for a straightforward estate, but it's good practice, and residuary beneficiaries can ask for one.
Reasonable updates. Beneficiaries don't have a right to know every detail of every decision, but they're entitled to reasonable information about progress, particularly as the process nears a year, when residuary beneficiaries can begin to expect distribution.
An explanation of significant expenses. If you've claimed back something out of the ordinary, such as specialist valuation fees, being upfront about why builds trust and avoids questions later.

You don't need to share every receipt unprompted, but you should be able to produce them if asked. Keeping clear records from day one means that conversation, if it happens, takes minutes rather than weeks.

If you suspect something isn't right

Most executors get this right, often a family member doing their best in a difficult time. But if you're a beneficiary and you have genuine concerns that an executor is spending estate money for their own benefit, paying themselves for time without authority, or not acting in the best interests of the estate, it's worth getting legal advice. A solicitor can explain your options, which may include requesting formal accounts, raising the matter directly, or in serious cases, applying to the court to have the executor removed.

This isn't a step to take lightly, and most concerns turn out to have a simple explanation once accounts are shared. But beneficiaries are entitled to a transparent administration, and there's no need to sit with a worry like this alone.

Keeping track without the spreadsheet headache

Tracking expenses by hand, alongside everything else an executor has to manage, is one of the easiest parts of the process to fall behind on. EstateCopilot keeps your estate's expenses, tasks, and progress in one place, so you always know what's been spent, what's outstanding, and what's left to do, across England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

If you'd find it helpful to see your whole estate laid out clearly, you can start your estate for free and see what's involved before you commit to anything.

This article is provided for general guidance and isn't a substitute for legal advice. If you're dealing with a dispute, a complex estate, or you're concerned about an executor's conduct, please speak to a solicitor.