You can deposit a large cash inheritance in a savings account, either through a check or direct wire to your bank. The bigger question is what you should do with it once it's deposited. While that is ultimately your decision, it helps to have a plan. The more prepared you are before you get the inheritance.
Inheritance checks are generally not reported to the IRS unless they involve cash or cash equivalents exceeding $10,000. Banks and financial institutions are required to report such transactions using Form 8300. Most inheritances are paid by regular check, wire transfer, or other means that don't qualify for reporting.
Ideas for what to do with your inheritance
Pay off high-interest debt. Create an emergency fund of at least 3–6 months of essential expenses. Revisit your investment plan with an advisor. Invest in yourself by going to back to school or taking a sabbatical.
Law of Dominance
This is also called Mendel's first law of inheritance. According to the law of dominance, hybrid offspring will only inherit the dominant trait in the phenotype. The alleles that are suppressed are called the recessive traits while the alleles that determine the trait are known as the dominant traits.
If you received a gift or inheritance, do not include it in your income. However, if the gift or inheritance later produces income, you will need to pay tax on that income. Example: You inherit and deposit cash that earns interest income. Include only the interest earned in your gross income, not the inherited cash.
It generally takes about two business days for a check to clear, but this may vary depending on the check amount and the specific bank or credit union's policies.
For the inheritance process to begin, a will must be submitted to probate. The probate court reviews the will, authorizes an executor and legally transfers assets to beneficiaries as outlined. Before the transfer, the executor will settle any of the deceased's remaining debts.
Many people worry about the estate tax affecting the inheritance they pass along to their children, but it's not a reality most people will face. In 2025, the first $13,990,000 of an estate is exempt from federal estate taxes, up from $13,610,000 in 2024. Estate taxes are based on the size of the estate.
Executors often use certified mail to send inheritance checks, requiring a signature upon delivery. This method provides a paper trail that can be crucial for legal and record-keeping purposes.
Any tax due will normally be taken out of the deceased's estate, and the executor will usually take care of it. This means you won't need to declare inheritance money to HMRC – an inheritance isn't classed as income, and therefore isn't taxable.
This situation can arise in many different scenarios, including benefit payments or payment for services rendered before the person's death. However, you can't simply deposit the check into your account, even if you're the only beneficiary of the decedent's estate.
Note that under a separate reporting requirement, banks and other financial institutions report cash purchases of cashier's checks, treasurer's checks and/or bank checks, bank drafts, traveler's checks and money orders with a face value of more than $10,000 by filing currency transaction reports.
That said, an inheritance of $100,000 or more is generally considered large. This is a considerable sum of money, and receiving such a windfall can be intimidating, especially if you have limited experience managing excess funds.
A good place to deposit a large cash inheritance, at least for the short term, would be a federally insured bank or credit union. Your money won't earn much in the way of interest, but as long as you stay under the legal limits, it will be safe until you decide what to do with it.
However, for individual cashier's checks, money orders or traveler's checks that exceed $10,000, the institution that issues the check in exchange for currency is required to report the transaction to the government, so the bank where the check is being deposited doesn't need to.
According to the Federal Reserve data, on average, American households inherit $46,200. 1 However, this number is inflated by large amounts passed down in wealthy families.
Can IRS seize inherited property? Yes, the IRS can seize inherited property for unpaid taxes after following its standard process of notices. Can the IRS take inheritance money? Yes, the IRS can take inheritance money for unpaid taxes.
This means that when the beneficiary withdraws those monies from the accounts, the beneficiary will receive a 1099 from the company administering the plan and must report that income on their income tax return (and must pay income taxes on the sum).
Federal law requires you to report to the Social Security Administration if you are the beneficiary of an inheritance – even if you refuse to accept the inheritance. Failing to report an inheritance can result in financial penalties. It could also cause your SSI payments to stop for up to three years.
You may receive inheritance money by being named in a will. In this case, you will go through a probate process to divide the assets. In other cases, assets pass to heirs like a spouse or children. The court appoints an administrator to divide the money and other assets following state laws.
Mendel's laws include the Law of Dominance and Uniformity, the Law of Segregation, and the Law of Independent Assortment.
Writing a will and naming beneficiaries are best practices that give you control over your estate. If you don't have a will, however, it's essential to understand what happens to your estate. Generally, the decedent's next of kin, or closest family member related by blood, is first in line to inherit property.