Estate Management US Assets of Non Resident

It's not quite a tax question, but seems most relevant here.

Just doing some planning ahead for when the time comes to deal with my father's estate and doing what I can to make the admin as straighforward as possible (having done this for the other 3 parents in the last 18 months focussed the mind). Im his UK attorney for financial affairs now and his sole executor down the line.

He's been back in the UK for 20 years but still has a credit union account, a mutual fund account with one provider and a rollover IRA with another.  So far I've just made sure the three beneficiaries of his UK will are named on these accounts as beneficiaries. I do believe this should make US probate not necessary. There are good tax reasons for not touching these while he is alive.

Has anyone tips for me having been through this already for a relative?

Thanks
Danny

Most likely his estate will be a foreign estate. Citizenship of the deceased is not an important factor. Many investment managers insist on Federal Transfer Certificate for the investments. These currently take the IRS 2 to 3 years to process. If the mutual funds are non-reporting, death is a deemed disposal. Separately I'd be concerned about possible UK IHT on the value of the IRA plus income tax charges for the beneficiaries. To report distributions, the beneficiaries will all need ITINs plus US income tax returns and UK self-assessment returns.

Essentially huge amounts of future paperwork and possible future double tax charges.

Thanks, some interesting points here.  I think I'll ring the three institutions  (PenFed, TIAA and Schwab) and ask them directly. I will report back here on any findings.