Joint tenancy works, but shares must be equal
Under Iowa Code § 557.15, property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship passes automatically to the surviving owner or owners at death, with no probate needed. Iowa specifically requires each joint tenant to hold an equal share of the property. See our full breakdown of Iowa joint tenancy rules.
A TOD deed the courts have actually voided
Iowa has never adopted the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act, and it isn't just an unfilled gap — the Iowa Court of Appeals ruled in 2021 that an attempted transfer-on-death deed on a family farm was void, because the grantor tried to retain joint tenancy with survivorship while also giving the property to her children at death. See our full account of that case and what Iowa owners use instead.
Bank accounts: free withdrawal isn't the same as ownership
Either owner of an Iowa joint account can freely withdraw funds, but a January 2025 Iowa Supreme Court decision clarified that actual ownership of the money is a separate question, presumptively split 50/50 but rebuttable with evidence. See our guide to Iowa beneficiary and P.O.D. accounts.
Where this feeds into other Iowa calculators
The probate-estate total from this tool is the starting point for Iowa's probate cost and executor fee calculators, and for checking Iowa's small estate procedures. Iowa's state inheritance tax was repealed for deaths after 2024, so this total generally doesn't feed into a separate state inheritance tax calculation.