Estate Matters FAQ
What is an estate?
An estate is the collection of real and personal property that owned by a person at the time of their death. Royalties are considered intangible personal property.
How should I notify you when my relative, who was a Penguin Random House author, dies?
The preferred method is as described on this site's home page: please complete the esatate questionnaire and submit it along with required documentation via email to estates@prh.com or by mail to:
Penguin Random House Legal Department
Attn: Estates
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Do I have to submit original documents?
No, legible copies are accepted. Do not mail documents that you want back, since we will not return them to you.
Do I need to provide the whole will or trust document?
Complete documents are preferred as they ensure Penguin Random House pays out royalties in accordance with the wishes of the author.
What happens after I submit my application?
Penguin Random House legal staff will review the application; assuming everything is in order, we’ll provide you with the appropriate tax and payments forms to complete.
What does dying intestate mean?
Someone who died intestate did not have a will they died, or had a will but it was not valid under the laws of the state where they resided at death.
What does the term escheat mean?
Companies that pay out money, such as Penguin Random House, are permitted by law to remove unclaimed funds (also known as abandoned property) from their books by sending it to the state of the last known address of the payee. That process is called escheating. Once funds are escheated, the rightful owner (or their successors) then has to claim those funds from the state.
Can you tell me how much money is on hold before I submit an application?
Penguin Random House can only disclose the amount on hold (if there is any) to those persons who have been verified to be the author’s authorized representatives (e.g. an executor) or heirs.
How often will I be paid royalties?
That depends on the terms of the author’s contract(s). But assuming the work continues to earn royalties, Penguin Random House typically accounts for sales twice a year and issues statements and payments within a specified number of days after the end of each period (e.g. 120 days).
Will I be able to access information about my deceased relative’s sales and royalties on line?
Yes. Once you’re set up in our system as the authorized representative of the estate (or the new legal owner of your relative’s works), you’ll be able to register for the Penguin Random House Author Portal.
Will I have to pay income taxes on the royalties you send me?
Yes, and in compliance with federal tax regulations, Penguin Random House will report royalty income to the IRS each year. You will receive a 1099 each January stating the amount of royalty income you earned in the previous calendar year.
What if I move while Penguin Random House is processing the estate paperwork?
If any change of address takes place after the initial processing of information, an authorized estate representative needs to notify Penguin Random House to ensure continuing payments.
Do I need to submit tax and payment forms to Penguin Random House if the deceased author was receiving payments via a literary agent?
If you and the deceased author are both U.S. citizens, you do NOT need to submit new tax forms to Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House can continue paying the literary agent. If any party is not a U.S. citizen, Penguin Random House will need the heir's tax and payment information to comply with federal tax reporting requirements.
Where can I get additional help?
You can e-mail estates@penguinrandomhouse.com. A member of the legal department will get back to you.
