The Trust Closing Checklist is a comprehensive, fillable PDF designed to guide trustees through the final phase of trust administration and ensure that all legal, accounting, tax, and administrative obligations are fully satisfied before formally closing the trust and discharging the trustee. Proper trust closure is critical to avoiding lingering liability, post-closing disputes, and reopening of administration.
 
This checklist walks trustees step-by-step through pre-closing prerequisites, final accountings and cash reconciliation, creditor claims and tax filings, distributions and beneficiary releases, special asset wrap-up (including real estate, business interests, intellectual property, digital and foreign assets), trustee compensation and reimbursements, notices and authority termination, and long-term record retention. It also provides clear pathways for both informal (nonjudicial) closings and court-supervised trust closures, with built-in tracking for outstanding items and required attachments.
 
Ideal for use at the conclusion of post-death trust administration, this checklist helps trustees confirm that nothing has been overlooked, document approvals and releases, and create a clean, defensible closing record. The fillable PDF format allows trustees to complete the checklist electronically, attach supporting documentation, and retain it as part of the trust’s permanent archive.