Will I be penalised for a mistake?

Not usually for an honest error corrected promptly. Penalties are aimed at careless or deliberate inaccuracies, and disclosure reduces them substantially.

Forms · 5 min read

How to correct a mistake after you have applied

Mistakes are common and nearly all of them are fixable. What matters is telling the right body promptly rather than hoping it goes unnoticed.

Written and reviewed by Ramani Gill, Founder & CEO — Solicitor, TEP, BA, LLM. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.

Where to send the correction

What is wrong	Where to correct it
Estate values reported to HMRC	Form C4 corrective account
Details on a probate application not yet issued	Contact HMCTS with the case reference
An error on the grant itself	Apply to the registry to amend the grant
A newly discovered asset after distribution	Report to HMRC, and account to the beneficiaries

Discovering an asset after the grant

Value the asset as at the date of death, not today
Report it to HMRC on a C4 and pay any additional tax with interest
Where a grant is needed for the new asset and the estate is closed, consider whether a further grant is required
Update the estate accounts and tell the beneficiaries

Prompt disclosure protects you

HMRC penalties turn on behaviour. An unprompted disclosure of a careless error usually attracts a much lower penalty, and often none at all.

Doing this yourself?

Our guided service walks an executor through valuations, the HMCTS forms and the estate accounts for a one-off £349.

Check if I can do probate myself

If the estate has already been distributed

Beneficiaries can be asked to return an overpayment. If they will not, the executor may be personally exposed, which is why holding a contingency until the position is settled matters.

GOV.UK — Form C4 corrective account

Common questions

Will I be penalised for a mistake?: Not usually for an honest error corrected promptly. Penalties are aimed at careless or deliberate inaccuracies, and disclosure reduces them substantially.

Not sure whether this estate is straightforward?

The free suitability checker asks about jurisdiction, disputes and complexity, and tells you in a few minutes whether a self-help route is sensible — or whether you should speak to a solicitor. No account needed.

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