Trust & Estate Health Check · Fixed Fee

Are you sure the trust or estate is being handled right?

Serving as a trustee or executor comes with real personal responsibility — and real personal liability. We'll review the accounting, estimate the fiduciary tax exposure, and flag compliance gaps before they become problems.

"Am I meeting my duties?"
"Is the fiduciary tax handled correctly?"
"Could I be personally on the hook?"

$4,995One fixed fee. An independent read
on how it's being administered and taxed.

See If You Qualify →

Licensed NC CPAsWe coordinate with your attorneyCharlotte · Mooresville · Winston-Salem

Reviewing trust and estate documents with a KGOB advisor

Why mid-year matters

~$16,000

Trusts reach the top federal tax bracket at only about $16,000 of taxable income — dramatically faster than individuals. That's exactly why fiduciary tax planning mid-year, while distribution decisions and the 65-day rule are still on the table, can matter so much.

Educational, not a guarantee of savings. Your situation depends on the governing document, income, and distributions.

Who It's For

Built for fiduciaries who want certainty.

Trustees, executors, personal representatives, and beneficiaries who want an independent read on how a trust or estate is being administered and taxed — before a filing deadline or a beneficiary question forces the issue.

What's Included

One fixed-fee fiduciary diagnostic.

Governing-document read-through

Trust instrument or will reviewed to identify entity type (simple / complex / grantor / decedent's estate), income vs. remainder beneficiaries, and distribution standards.

Fiduciary (trust) accounting review

Principal-and-income allocation under NC's Principal and Income Act (G.S. Ch. 37A); checks that principal and income ledgers reconcile and flags common misallocations.

Mid-year fiduciary income-tax projection

Models Distributable Net Income (DNI), the income distribution deduction, and the compressed trust brackets — including distribution scenarios and the 65-day rule.

Estimated-tax adequacy check

Review of the Form 1041-ES position for federal purposes. (Note: North Carolina does not require estimated tax of a fiduciary.)

Trustee / executor compliance & liability review

Filing status and deadlines (federal Form 1041; NC Form D-407), K-1 timeliness, and red flags that can create personal liability.

Written findings report + 60-min strategy

Everything we found in plain English, with a prioritized action plan, and a working session to walk through it.

What's Not Included

A diagnostic — quoted separately for the rest.

These are excluded and, if you want our help, quoted separately in writing with a fixed price.

Preparation of Form 1041 / NC D-407
Form 706 (estate tax) or 709 (gift tax)
Formal court / judicial accountings
Acting as trustee / trust administration
Litigation or beneficiary-dispute support
Drafting or interpreting legal documents

A clear line we don't cross: We identify issues and coordinate with your attorney — we do not provide legal advice or draft, amend, or interpret the legal effect of trust or estate documents. A CPA may flag an issue and recommend you consult counsel.

FAQ

Fiduciary questions, answered.

Looking for the operating-business version? See the Business Health Check →

What's the difference between trust accounting and trust tax?+

They're not the same. Trust accounting allocates receipts and disbursements between income and principal under state law — it determines what an income beneficiary receives. Trust tax determines what's taxable. Fiduciary accounting income is not the same number as taxable income, and confusing the two is a common, costly mistake.

Do you prepare the 1041?+

Not in this engagement — it's a diagnostic. If the review shows a return is needed or worth revisiting, we'll quote that separately with a fixed price.

Can you change the trust or give legal advice?+

No. We identify issues and work with your attorney; we don't draft, amend, or interpret legal documents. Where a legal question surfaces, we'll point it out and recommend you consult counsel.

I'm a beneficiary, not the trustee — can I order this?+

In many cases yes, with appropriate authorization and limits. We'll confirm what's possible based on your role and the situation when you qualify.

Is the fee refundable?+

No — like the business version, this is a fixed-fee engagement and work begins promptly after you sign the terms and submit records. The fee is non-refundable once work commences, which is exactly what you agree to before paying.

For Trustees & Executors

Know the trust is being handled right.

An independent, fixed-fee read on the accounting, the fiduciary tax exposure, and the compliance gaps that create personal liability.

See If You Qualify →