Probate Fee Calculator (Canada)

What the probate fees calculator does

Enter the estate value and your province or territory, and the calculator returns the estimated probate fee, its effective rate against the estate, and the amount left once the fee is paid.

Probate is the court process that confirms a will is valid and gives the executor authority to deal with the estate. Most provinces charge a fee for that grant, and the rules vary so widely that a single national figure would mislead, so the calculator applies the rule for the jurisdiction you choose.

Why probate fees vary so much across Canada

There is no federal probate fee. Ontario, British Columbia and Saskatchewan charge a percentage of the estate value, with different rates and exempt first tiers. Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon use a flat schedule, where the estate falls into a band and pays a set amount, and their fees are modest by comparison. Manitoba abolished its probate charge in November 2020 and now charges nothing.

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island combine the two: a fixed amount for the band the estate falls in, plus a set amount for every further $1,000 above $100,000, $16.95 in Nova Scotia and $4 in Prince Edward Island. Newfoundland and Labrador adds 60 cents for every $100 above the first $1,000. In Quebec a notarial will carries no probate fee, and only a non-notarial will needs court verification for a small fixed charge.

How the calculation works

• Percentage provinces: each slice of the estate is charged at the rate for its band.
• Flat-schedule jurisdictions: the calculator finds the band and returns its fee.
• Base-plus-tier provinces: the base fee is added to the charge on the value above the threshold.
• Quebec: no probate fee for a notarial will.

A worked example

A $500,000 estate in Ontario pays nothing on the first $50,000 and 1.5% on the remaining $450,000, a fee of $6,750. That is an effective rate of 1.35%, leaving $493,250.

The same estate costs about $6,450 in British Columbia, $7,783 in Nova Scotia, $3,500 in Saskatchewan, $3,054 in Newfoundland and Labrador, $2,000 in Prince Edward Island and $525 in Alberta, where the flat schedule tops out, and nothing in Manitoba or with a Quebec notarial will.

What counts toward the probate base

Assets that pass by beneficiary designation, such as many registered accounts and life insurance policies, often go directly to the named person outside the estate, and assets held jointly with right of survivorship can pass to the surviving owner. The value going through probate can therefore be smaller than total wealth. Enter the value expected to pass through probate, and get professional advice where an estate is complex.

Reading your result

The effective rate makes it easy to compare the real burden across provinces, since a flat fee and a percentage fee are hard to weigh in raw dollars. Probate fees are only one cost of settling an estate; legal fees, executor compensation, accounting and the final income tax return are not included.

Applying for probate

Probate is granted by the superior court of the province or territory where the deceased lived, each with its own forms: a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee in Ontario, a grant of probate in most other provinces, and court verification of a non-notarial will in Quebec. In Ontario the executor must also file an Estate Information Return with the Ministry of Finance within a set period after the certificate is issued. The fee is generally paid when the application is filed, so the estate needs access to funds before the grant is in hand.

Planning to reduce probate fees

Because the fee is charged on the value passing through probate, naming beneficiaries on registered accounts and life insurance reduces it. Holding property jointly with right of survivorship passes it outside probate, but it carries legal and tax risks and should not be done casually. In Ontario, multiple wills are sometimes used to keep private company shares out of the probated estate. In the Ontario example, every $10,000 moved outside the estate saves $150 of fee.

Common mistakes and cautions

• Applying the fee to total net worth rather than the assets that pass through the estate, which overstates it.
• Arranging joint ownership just to avoid the fee, which can cause disputes, unintended gifts or capital gains problems far larger than the saving.
• Forgetting the larger settlement costs: legal fees, executor compensation, accounting and the estate’s final return to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Provinces revise their probate rules from time to time, so recalculate when reviewing an estate plan rather than relying on an old figure.

This is general information only and not financial or legal advice.

About This Tool: Probate Fees Canada

Probate fees Canada: use this tool to get an instant, accurate estimate. The figures follow official guidance and every rate and threshold is kept up to date for 2026. Adjust the inputs above to match your situation, or browse all our calculators to plan your next step.