Wills & estates · Free tool
Probate Fee Calculator for Ontario and Every Province
Enter the value of the estate and choose the province or territory where the deceased lived to see the probate fee, or Ontario's Estate Administration Tax, with a line-by-line breakdown. Each schedule comes from the official government or court source linked under the result.
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Probate fee calculator
Estimate the probate fee (Estate Administration Tax in Ontario) in any province or territory.
How Ontario measures value: Total value of the estate at the date of death. Only mortgages and other encumbrances on Ontario real estate can be deducted; credit cards, lines of credit, loans and funeral costs cannot.
What counts toward the value in Ontario?
Usually included
- Real estate in Ontario, less mortgages or liens registered against it
- Bank accounts, including accounts at foreign banks
- Investments, including RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs with no named beneficiary
- Vehicles and vessels, wherever located
- Business interests and insurance proceeds payable to the estate
Usually not included
- Real estate outside Ontario
- Jointly held assets that pass to the surviving owner by right of survivorship
- Accounts, plans and policies with a designated beneficiary
- The CPP death benefit
Estimated estate administration tax in Ontario on $500,000
$6,750
About 1.35% of the estate value
- Value above $50,000: 450 × $15 per $1,000
- $6,750
- Estate Administration Tax
- $6,750
Ontario schedule: $0 on estates of $50,000 or less, then $15 for every $1,000 (or part of $1,000) above $50,000. Applies to applications made on or after January 1, 2020.
The value is rounded up to the next $1,000 before the rate is applied.
An Estate Information Return is due within 180 days after the certificate is issued, even if no tax is owed.
Estates of $150,000 or less can use the optional Small Estate Certificate, but tax still applies above $50,000.
Source: Government of Ontario: Estate Administration Tax. An estimate only: lawyer fees, executor compensation and income tax on the final return are separate. General information, not legal advice.
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How probate fees are calculated in Canada
Every province and territory sets its own probate fee. Some charge a percentage of the estate's value (Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island), some charge a flat fee by value band with a low cap (Alberta, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut), and Manitoba charges nothing. Percentage schedules count each $1,000 (or $100 in Newfoundland and Labrador) or part of it.
What counts toward the value also differs. British Columbia and Prince Edward Island use gross value, Ontario lets you deduct only mortgages on Ontario real estate, and Alberta and the territories use net value. Assets that pass outside the will, such as accounts with a named beneficiary or property held in joint tenancy, generally do not count anywhere.
| Jurisdiction | $500,000 estate | $1,000,000 estate |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $6,750 | $14,250 |
| British Columbia | $6,450 | $13,450 |
| Alberta | $525 | $525 |
| Saskatchewan | $3,500 | $7,000 |
| Manitoba | $0 | $0 |
| Quebec | No value-based fee | No value-based fee |
| New Brunswick | $6,600 | $14,100 |
| Nova Scotia | $7,782.65 | $16,257.65 |
| Prince Edward Island | $2,000 | $4,000 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $3,054 | $6,054 |
| Yukon | $140 | $140 |
| Northwest Territories | $435 | $435 |
| Nunavut | $425 | $425 |
Calculated from each official schedule as of November 2026. British Columbia also charges a $200 court filing fee on estates over $25,000.
Frequently asked questions
How are probate fees calculated in Ontario?
Ontario's Estate Administration Tax is $0 on estates of $50,000 or less. Above that, it is $15 for every $1,000 (or part of $1,000) of value over $50,000, with the value rounded up to the next thousand. So a $500,000 estate pays $6,750 and a $1,000,000 estate pays $14,250. The rate has applied to applications made on or after January 1, 2020.
What is left out of the estate value for Ontario probate?
Real estate outside Ontario, jointly held assets that pass to a surviving owner by right of survivorship, accounts and policies with a designated beneficiary, and the CPP death benefit are not counted. Mortgages and other encumbrances on Ontario real estate can be deducted, but credit card debt, lines of credit, loans and funeral costs cannot.
Which province has the highest probate fees?
On larger estates, Nova Scotia is highest: $1,002.65 on the first $100,000 plus $16.95 per $1,000 above that, or about $16,258 on a $1,000,000 estate. Ontario ($14,250), New Brunswick ($14,100 since June 12, 2026) and British Columbia ($13,450 plus a $200 filing fee) follow. Manitoba charges nothing and Alberta caps its fee at $525.
Do you pay probate fees in Quebec?
Not on a notarial will, which is an authentic act and does not need to be probated. A handwritten will or a will made before witnesses must be probated by a notary or the Superior Court, but Quebec does not charge a fee based on the estate's value. You pay a fixed court fee or the notary's professional fee instead.
Is the probate fee the only cost of settling an estate?
No. The calculator shows the value-based probate fee or tax only. Lawyer fees, executor compensation, any bond premium, court filing charges in some provinces and income tax on the deceased's final return are separate. In Ontario, an Estate Information Return must also be filed within 180 days after the certificate is issued, even if no tax is owed.
Read the full guides
This calculator is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees change; confirm the current amount with the court registry before you file. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@lawyerslist.ca.