Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
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Probate delays are one of the most frustrating aspects of estate administration. When both HMRC and the Probate Registry are involved, the process can stretch to 6 months or more — even for relatively straightforward estates. This guide explains the current processing times, the main causes of delay, the IHT interest implications, and what you can actively do while you wait. For a full overview of how probate works, see our complete UK probate guide.
Probate involves two separate processes with two separate processing timescales:
Combined, a typical estate where IHT applies should expect the entire process from IHT400 submission to receiving the Grant of Probate to take 4–6 months. Delays at either stage extend this further.
For guidance on the application forms, see our guide to the PA1P and PA1A probate application forms.
Understanding the cause of your delay helps you address it. The main causes are:
The most common cause of delay is a probate application that is returned because it is incomplete or contains errors. Common problems include:
If your application is returned, the Probate Registry will send a rejection letter specifying the problem. Correct the issue promptly — the application queue restarts once resubmitted.
If HMRC opens a compliance check on the IHT400, it will not issue the IHT421 until the check is resolved. This means the Probate Registry application cannot proceed. A compliance check can add weeks or months to the process.
If you have submitted the IHT400 and are waiting more than 8 weeks without receiving the IHT421, contact HMRC to find out whether a compliance check has been opened. See our guides on HMRC IHT compliance check letters and how to respond to an HMRC probate query.
The Probate Registry periodically experiences significant backlogs due to staffing pressures and the impact of centralising probate services. In 2022–23, waiting times exceeded 20 weeks for many applications. As of April 2026, most applications are being processed within 8–16 weeks, but this can vary. Check the HMCTS website for the latest published processing times.
For estates above the nil-rate band (£325,000, or £500,000 with the RNRB), IHT must be paid before probate can be granted. This creates a timing problem: you need probate to access the estate's assets to pay the tax — but you can't get probate until the tax is paid. The Direct Payment Scheme resolves this for most estates.
The Direct Payment Scheme (DPS) allows IHT to be paid from the deceased's bank or building society accounts before probate is granted. This solves the chicken-and-egg problem. Here is how it works:
Not all banks participate in the DPS, and banks can only pay up to the balance in the deceased's accounts — if those are insufficient to cover the IHT, you will need to borrow the difference (bridging loans for IHT are available from specialist lenders). For full details, see our guide on paying IHT before probate using the Direct Payment Scheme.
HMRC charges interest on unpaid IHT from 6 months after the end of the month of death. For example, if the deceased died on 15 March 2026, IHT interest starts accruing from 30 September 2026. The interest rate is currently set at 2.5 percentage points above the Bank of England base rate — check the current rate on HMRC's website.
This means every month of additional delay adds to the IHT bill. On a £50,000 IHT liability, one extra month of delay at a 7.75% annual rate adds approximately £320 in interest. Over 6 months of avoidable delay, that is nearly £2,000 in interest charges that could have been avoided by resolving a compliance check promptly.
For a detailed breakdown of how IHT interest accrues and how to minimise it, see our guide to probate delays and IHT interest charges.
If your application has been waiting longer than the published processing time, chase it rather than simply continuing to wait.
Chasing the Probate Registry:
Chasing HMRC:
Use the waiting period productively rather than chasing repeatedly without making progress:
Most probate delays are simply the result of high application volumes and processing times. But some delays signal that something specific needs your attention:
You can accept an offer and exchange contracts before probate, but you cannot complete the sale and transfer legal title until the Grant of Probate is issued. This is a common source of frustration where property sales are agreed while probate is still in progress.
Yes — HMRC will send a letter to the address provided on the IHT400. Occasionally letters are delayed or misaddressed. If you are waiting longer than 8 weeks for the IHT421, call the IHT helpline to check whether a compliance check has been opened.
The Probate Registry can expedite applications in genuine urgent circumstances — for example, where a property sale is at risk of falling through. You will need to write to the Probate Registry explaining the urgency and providing evidence. There is no guarantee of success, but it is worth asking if you have a compelling reason.
If the estate's liquid assets (bank accounts) are insufficient to cover the IHT due — for example, because most of the estate is in property — you may need to use a bridging loan or IHT loan to pay the tax before probate. Some specialist lenders offer IHT-specific bridging finance. Alternatively, you may be able to arrange instalment payments for IHT on certain assets, such as property. See our guide on paying IHT before probate.
Where the estate is solvent, IHT interest is payable by the estate, not personally by the executor. However, if an executor caused avoidable delay through negligence or inaction — for example, by failing to respond to an HMRC query — a beneficiary could theoretically bring a claim against the executor for the cost of that interest. Prompt action is always in the executor's interests.
How to pay inheritance tax before probate is granted using the Direct Payment Scheme (IHT423). Which banks participate, how to apply, and avoiding HMRC interest.
HMRC charges 8.75% interest on unpaid inheritance tax. Learn how to pay IHT before probate and avoid unnecessary interest charges.
HMRC has queried or returned your probate application. Find out why it happens, the difference between an HMRC query and a Probate Registry rejection, and how to resolve it step by step.
Step-by-step probate application process, forms needed, costs, and typical timeframes for grant of probate.
What an IHT compliance check is, why HMRC selects returns for review, 7 common triggers, what documents HMRC requests, penalty bands, and how to prepare your response.
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