Selling shares in an Estate

Dealing with Shares in a Deceased Person’s Estate

If someone owned shares at the time of their death, these will form part of their estate and must either be sold or transferred during the estate administration process. The estate representatives are responsible for valuing the shareholdings and, where necessary, verifying them as part of calculating any inheritance tax liabilities and applying for Probate.

Once the valuation has been completed and Probate has been granted, the estate representatives must then liaise with the relevant share registrars or transfer agents. This involves meeting legal, financial and compliance requirements to formally identify themselves, remove the shares from the deceased’s name, and arrange for them to either be transferred to the beneficiaries or sold. The process can be complex, particularly where multiple stakeholders are involved — such as beneficiaries, co-owners, registrars, transfer agents, and shares held across different jurisdictions.

Finders International can greatly simplify this process. Our International Asset Services team has extensive experience in handling shares, foreign bank accounts, and investment portfolios. We support estates dealing with assets in the USA, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and other regions, helping ensure compliance and efficient administration. Contact us to discuss your specific requirements.

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“Nowadays, estates in the United Kingdom are likely to contain at least one overseas asset – and possibly more. This happens for various reasons – a bank account opened abroad while someone was working in that country, a holiday home purchased in Spain or investment accounts set up in the US or offshore for tax planning purposes.

The legal and bureaucratic obstacles they cause can be a real headache for estate administrators, which is where we come in. Our international asset service deals with foreign assets, helping to sell, transfer or recover shares, bank accounts, investment portfolios and more.”

To get a bespoke quote tailored to your requirements, please contact us using the form below.

Louise Levene
International Asset Services Manager

Selling shares in the USA and beyond

British shareholders can hold overseas assets more often than expected. This may arise from working for an international company, spending time living abroad, or acquiring shares during that period. In other cases, shareholdings may evolve over time due to corporate actions such as stock splits, demergers, or delistings from the London Stock Exchange. As a result, what was once a UK-listed shareholding may become one listed entirely overseas, for example in the USA, Australia, or Hong Kong.

The processes and practices of overseas share registrars and transfer agents can differ significantly from those in the UK. For instance, US transfer agents may continue sending correspondence to an address held on file, even if it is many years out of date. It is not uncommon for individuals, particularly in later life, to change address multiple times, meaning important communications about shareholdings may be sent to properties no longer connected to the shareholder. This can create challenges for estate representatives trying to identify and manage these assets.

In addition, older paper share certificates may not reflect the current position, leading to uncertainty about what assets are actually held at the time of death. While some markets have moved towards digital or “scripless” systems, many countries still operate with paper-based certificates. Dealing with foreign share registrars can therefore feel unfamiliar and complex – from differing terminology (such as “decedent” in the US) to requirements that may be unknown to UK executors, including Medallion Signature Guarantees and asset escheatment rules.

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Strict data protection regulations can also limit the information provided to third parties, making it difficult for executors to fully understand the assets and how to deal with them.

Many shareholdings that were once listed on the London Stock Exchange are now listed in the United States or have been acquired by US corporations – examples include Keurig Dr Pepper, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez International, and CRH plc. As a result, executors may find themselves dealing with US-based assets more often than anticipated.

Selling US shares, whether during probate or in other circumstances, can involve additional legal and administrative considerations. Understanding these requirements is essential to ensure the sale is completed smoothly and in full compliance with local regulations.

Finders International can help simplify this process. Our expertise in international asset tracing and share recovery allows us to guide estate representatives through these complexities, ensuring compliance and efficiency. To discuss your requirements or obtain a tailored quote, please contact us using the form below.

What We Do

Finders can liaise with the transfer agent to sell or transfer listed shares in an estate for you, including obtaining Medallion Signature Guarantee stamps in the USA and Canada – a securities anti-fraud compliance measure that affects millions of UK-resident shareholders, and their estate representatives.

We can obtain IRS tax clearance (a Federal Transfer Certificate, a form of estate tax clearance certificate in the USA called form 5173) for the estates of UK taxpaying asset holders domiciled in the United Kingdom, where the US assets exceed the $60,000 USD tax exemption threshold at the date of death.

We can dispose of shares in other countries, including Australia, Hong Kong and beyond, resealing Grants in Commonwealth countries and obtaining Grants in offshore jurisdictions like Jersey and the Isle of Man, prior to disposing of the shares.

It’s important to note that the probate process and regulations may vary by State or country, and legal advice may be necessary to navigate specific requirements. Contact us using the form below to discuss your requirements, in confidence and without obligation.

Selling shares and other securities

Finders can sell or transfer foreign listed stocks and shares, obtain a Federal Transfer Certificate from the IRS, attend to the re-issue of uncashed dividend cheques, and bring the value back into the estate.

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