Annapolis, Maryland guide

Annapolis is in Anne Arundel County. The county Register of Wills is the practical starting point for opening an estate and obtaining local forms. The Comptroller handles Maryland estate tax while the Register of Wills administers inheritance-tax matters.

Annapolis readers should use the Anne Arundel County Register of Wills. The city is the state capital, but estate filings are not sent to a single statewide Annapolis probate office. Use the decedent's county to identify the Register and ask whether the small-estate or regular packet applies. Clarify whether a question concerns an appointment, an Orphans' Court matter, inheritance tax, or the Comptroller's estate return before choosing which office to contact.

Maryland has a state estate tax and has an inheritance tax.

Maryland has both estate and inheritance taxes. The Comptroller distinguishes estate-level filing from beneficiary-related inheritance tax collected by the county Register of Wills.

The Maryland guide covers the broader estate process. The local court does not provide a retirement or investment plan. An attorney addresses legal authority, a CPA addresses filings, and an advisor addresses financial planning. SBC has no local office in Annapolis.