Digital Assets in a Will: A UK Guide

What are digital assets?

Digital assets are anything you own or hold in an online or electronic form. That covers email and cloud accounts, photos and documents, social media profiles, loyalty points, domain names, online marketplaces, subscription services, cryptocurrency and online banking or investment logins. Some carry real financial value, others are mainly sentimental, and many mix the two, which is why they need thinking about separately from physical belongings.

Can you put digital assets in a will?

You can leave the value of a digital asset in a will, but you generally cannot hand over an online account itself. A will lets you decide what happens to your money, property and possessions, so assets you truly own, such as cryptocurrency or a monetised domain, can pass under it (gov.uk, make a will, as at July 2026, subject to change). Many accounts are only licensed to you, so access ends with your relationship to the provider rather than transferring.

Because logins and passwords change and a will becomes a public document once probate is granted, security details are best kept out of the will itself. Many people instead name digital assets in general terms and keep a separate, secure list that their executor can find. Our note on what not to put in a will looks at why passwords and account numbers rarely belong in the document.

Not all digital assets pass the same way

How a digital asset is treated on death depends far more on what it is than on the wording of a will. Something you own outright, like cryptocurrency held in your own wallet, can be dealt with as property. Something you only license, like a streaming library or many social profiles, usually cannot be inherited at all, and access falls under the provider's memorialisation or closure process.

A will lets you decide what happens to your money, property and possessions, which captures the assets you genuinely own (gov.uk, make a will, as at July 2026, subject to change). For licensed accounts, the practical route is usually giving your executor the information and authority to contact each provider directly.

See our guide to How to Write a Will for how personal possessions and specific gifts are set out.

Digital assets that carry real value

Some digital assets sit inside your estate for the same reasons as any other property. Cryptocurrency, funds in payment accounts, monetised channels and valuable domains can all have a market value at the date of death, and where the whole estate exceeds the available tax-free bands, that value counts towards inheritance tax like anything else (gov.uk, inheritance tax, as at July 2026, subject to change). Recording them clearly helps an executor value the estate correctly.

Type of digital asset	Typical position on death
Cryptocurrency in your own wallet	Owned property; can pass under a will, but only if the keys can be found
Payment or online banking balances	Owned money; usually released to the executor of the estate
Photos, email and cloud files	Often licensed access; may be reachable via a provider's process, not inheritable as an account
Social media profiles	Generally not bequeathable; each platform runs its own memorialisation or closure route
Streamed music, films and e-books	Usually a personal licence that ends and cannot be transferred

Type of digital asset

Typical position on death

Cryptocurrency in your own wallet

Owned property; can pass under a will, but only if the keys can be found

Payment or online banking balances

Owned money; usually released to the executor of the estate

Photos, email and cloud files

Often licensed access; may be reachable via a provider's process, not inheritable as an account

Social media profiles

Generally not bequeathable; each platform runs its own memorialisation or closure route

Streamed music, films and e-books

Usually a personal licence that ends and cannot be transferred

General positions for illustration only; each provider's terms differ. Inheritance tax treatment of owned assets: gov.uk/inheritance-tax, as at July 2026, subject to change. Where a nil-rate band is relevant, it is £325,000 per person (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change).

How to plan for digital assets

Because no single rule governs digital assets, planning tends to be practical: make a will that covers what you own, then keep a separate, secure and up-to-date record so your executor knows what exists and how to reach it. Many people also leave a letter of wishes explaining what they would like done with sentimental accounts, which sits alongside the will without forming part of the public document.

List what you hold. Note accounts, wallets, subscriptions and where files are stored, without writing passwords into the will itself.

Separate value from access. Deal with owned assets in the will; record login and recovery details securely elsewhere.

Keep it current. Passwords and providers change, so many people review the record whenever they update the will.

Add a letter of wishes. Explain what you would like done with photos, social profiles and other sentimental items.

Tell your executor where it is. A perfect list helps no one if nobody can find it when the time comes.

Where digital assets are valuable or complex, for example a large cryptocurrency holding, it can be worth discussing the arrangements with a qualified professional such as a solicitor or a STEP practitioner who can consider your full position.

A worked example (illustration only). Someone holds cryptocurrency worth about £30,000, a photo library in the cloud, and a streaming subscription. In their will they leave "my cryptocurrency" to a named beneficiary, which is possible because it is property they own (gov.uk, make a will, as at July 2026, subject to change). The crypto value forms part of the estate for inheritance tax if the total exceeds the available bands (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). The photos are handled through the provider's process using a secure record of access, and the streaming library, being a personal licence, simply ends. Change the assets or the terms and the answer changes, so this is general information rather than advice for any real estate.

Digital assets and wills in Scotland and Northern Ireland

This guide describes the law of England and Wales. The practical challenges around digital assets, that access is governed by providers' terms and no single rule sets out how they pass, are much the same across the UK. What differs is the surrounding succession law. Scotland has its own rules, including legal rights that can entitle a spouse and children to a fixed share of the moveable estate, and it uses confirmation rather than a grant of probate. Northern Ireland has a separate but broadly similar system to England and Wales. Where an estate touches more than one nation, it can be worth taking advice in each.

Frequently asked questions

Can you include digital assets in a will in the UK?

You can leave the value of digital assets you own, such as cryptocurrency, but you generally cannot hand over an online account itself. A will lets you decide what happens to your money, property and possessions (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Many accounts are only licensed to you, so they cannot be inherited and are dealt with through each provider's own process.

Should I put my passwords in my will?

Many people choose not to. A will becomes a public document once probate is granted, and passwords change over time, so listing them in the will can create both a security risk and an out-of-date document. A common approach is to keep a separate, secure record of access details and tell your executor where to find it, updating it whenever you review the will.

What happens to my social media accounts when I die?

Social media profiles usually cannot be left in a will, and each platform runs its own process for closing or memorialising an account. Requirements vary between providers and often ask for documents such as a death certificate and proof that you are the deceased's lawful representative. A letter of wishes can record what you would like to happen, which many people keep alongside the will.

Is cryptocurrency part of my estate for inheritance tax?

Cryptocurrency you own can form part of your estate and count towards inheritance tax where the total estate exceeds the available tax-free bands, with the nil-rate band at £325,000 per person and the standard rate at 40% on the excess (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). It is treated as property, so recording it, and keeping the keys accessible, helps the executor deal with it.

How can my family access my online accounts after I die?

There is no automatic right of access, and each provider decides who, if anyone, can reach an account. In practice, families rely on the records the person left behind, so many people keep a secure list of accounts and recovery details for their executor. Sharing where that list is, rather than the passwords themselves, tends to be the most reliable approach.

Do I need a solicitor to deal with digital assets?

Not always. A straightforward will and a clear personal record cover many situations. Where digital assets are valuable or complex, for example a large cryptocurrency holding or a monetised online business, some elements benefit from qualified input, and many people choose to discuss the arrangements with a solicitor or a STEP practitioner who can consider their full circumstances.

About Fairchild Oldfield

The Fairchild Oldfield team brings together estate planning, tax, independent financial advice and client care, working with families across England and Wales.

Fairchild Oldfield are estate planning specialists and will writers, not a firm of solicitors. This article is general information based on practical experience, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Important: This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Reading it does not create a professional relationship. It is based on the law of England and Wales, and other UK jurisdictions may differ. Figures and rules are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change. Before acting, many people choose to seek advice from a suitably qualified professional, such as a solicitor, a STEP practitioner, an accountant, or an FCA-authorised financial adviser, who can consider your individual circumstances.

Digital Assets and Your Will