Closing accounts after a death — Subscriptions, IRD, electoral roll and digital accounts

Start Here: myTrove Can Do Much of the Heavy Lifting

Before you begin making individual calls and filling in separate forms, it is worth knowing about myTrove — a free online service available in New Zealand that lets you notify multiple organisations about a death in one place.

myTrove is a free, secure service that lets you notify multiple organisations — including banks, insurers, and utility providers — through a single online form. It connects directly to official New Zealand government death records, which means you do not need to provide a physical death certificate.

Through myTrove, you can also notify the Department of Internal Affairs (for passports), some banks and insurers, and other organisations.

It will not do everything, but it takes a significant load off your shoulders at a time when your energy is precious.

Notifying IRD

Tax affairs are one of those things that feel especially heavy to deal with in grief, but notifying IRD early matters.

Letting IRD know someone has died ensures that any tax refunds due are paid to the estate, penalties on outstanding tax are halted, child support payments are handled appropriately, changes to a Working for Families situation are recorded, student loans are addressed, and KiwiSaver funds are transferred to the estate.

You can notify IRD through myTrove, and this free service can be used to finalise the tax obligations of the person who has died, with no need to provide a New Zealand death certificate when doing so.

Once you have notified IRD, you will need written confirmation that you can act on behalf of the estate — the most commonly accepted document is a copy of the will or probate.

After that, a final income tax return will need to be filed. You can call IRD on 0800 227 774 to find out whether a final return is required — you will need the IRD number of the person who has died.

If your loved one had a student loan, there is one less thing to worry about: IRD will write off the student loan. It is also worth checking IRD's unclaimed monies list — there may be money held in the name of the person who has died.

Removing Your Loved One From the Electoral Roll

This is a small but meaningful step — removing someone from the electoral roll is a way of formally acknowledging in official records that they are gone.

The Electoral Commission can remove a person's name from the roll when it is satisfied of their identity and the death has been notified — and this notification can be made by a parent, spouse, civil union partner, de facto partner, sibling, or administrator of the estate.

You can contact the Electoral Commission by phone on 0800 36 76 56, or by reaching out through vote.nz. Keep a note of your loved one's full name and date of birth when you call.

Cancelling Subscriptions

This is one of the most easily overlooked parts of estate administration — and one of the most quietly draining. No streaming service, software platform, or app store monitors obituaries or death records, so every recurring charge continues until someone actively cancels it or the payment method fails.

To find out what subscriptions existed, go through bank statements and credit card records for at least the past year. Look for regular charges from streaming services like Netflix, Neon, Spotify, or Apple Music; cloud storage like iCloud or Google One; news sites; fitness apps; and any software subscriptions.

Before cancelling anything, check whether other family members are sharing the account — a shared streaming plan used by the whole household may be worth transferring rather than closing.

Most services can be cancelled with either account login details or a death certificate and brief proof of your role in the estate. Many providers will refund months of charges after a death if you provide the death certificate — so if you discover a subscription that has been running for a while, it is always worth asking. Companies will almost always waive cancellation fees for bereavement.

Digital Accounts and Social Media

Your loved one's online presence — their Facebook profile, their Instagram, their email — does not simply disappear. Deciding what to do with it can feel surprisingly emotional. There is no single right answer, and it is worth taking a moment to think about what they would have wanted, or what feels right for your whānau.

For Facebook, you can choose to memorialise the account (which preserves it with a "Remembering" banner) or request its removal, and you will need to submit a request with a death certificate and optional proof of relationship. Instagram follows a similar process. Family members can request memorialisation or deletion, with proof of death required.

For Google accounts — including Gmail and YouTube — you can submit a request via their Inactive Account Manager or fill out forms with a death certificate and proof of authority. Apple has a Digital Legacy tool, but if this was not set up in advance, you will need to submit legal paperwork to Apple Support.

The ability to access or shut down accounts varies significantly, especially if you do not have access to the email address or the passwords attached to each account. If you are struggling to gain access, a lawyer can assist — and for some accounts, a formal legal process may be required.

A Note on Shared Accounts and Household Services

Some accounts are not only in the name of the person who has died. Shared family streaming services, internet plans, power accounts, and cloud storage may need to be transferred rather than cancelled. It is important to update or secure shared accounts so that access remains with the surviving household members. Cancelling something the household still relies on can cause unexpected disruption at an already difficult time — so take a breath and check before closing.

You Do Not Have to Do All of This at Once

There is no single deadline for closing every account. Some things — like notifying IRD — are best done early. Others can wait until you have a little more space. Be gentle with yourself. Closing down accounts after a death takes an executor many hours of work — it is a real and substantial task, not a small favour. Asking for help from a family member, your lawyer, or an estate administration service is not giving up — it is taking care of yourself while honouring someone you love.

If you are working through the practicalities of estate administration and would like a guided checklist to help you keep track, our after someone passes guide walks you through each task step by step, at your own pace.

Circumstances vary. Verify specific details directly with the relevant organisation before acting.

Written and reviewed with care by BesideYou.

Sources

• Inland Revenue Department: Let us know someone has died
• Inland Revenue Department: File a final income tax return for someone who has died
• Inland Revenue Department: Request a refund for someone who has died
• New Zealand Legislation: Electoral Act 1993
• Electoral Commission New Zealand: Contact us
• Kiwibank: Deceased estates