Probate Fees in Ontario: The Complete Guide

If you are handling an estate in Ontario, one of the first numbers you will meet is the probate fee. In Ontario it is formally called the Estate Administration Tax, and it is one of the highest probate costs in the country. Here is how it works, what it costs, and where families go wrong.

What probate fees actually pay for

Probate, formally a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee, is the court process that confirms a will is valid and gives the executor legal authority to deal with the estate. The fee is charged on the value of the estate when you apply.

The Ontario rates

Ontario charges no Estate Administration Tax on the first $50,000 of estate value. Above that, the rate is $15 per $1,000, or part thereof, of estate value. Some examples:

• Estate of $50,000 or less: $0
• Estate of $100,000: $750
• Estate of $500,000: $6,750
• Estate of $1,000,000: $14,250

Source: Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General (ontario.ca/page/estate-administration-tax). Rates current as of October 2026.

The part families most often get wrong

The tax is calculated on the value of the estate you report. Ontario requires the estate trustee to file an Estate Information Return listing the estate's assets, and the Ministry can audit it. Two failure modes show up again and again.

Overpaying. The executor reports only what they know about. Missed liabilities mean the tax can be overpaid, and money is left on the table.

Under-reporting by accident. The opposite failure is worse. An account or investment discovered after the Estate Information Return is filed can mean the reported value was wrong. Under the Estate Administration Tax Act, 1998, knowingly providing false information carries penalties.

Both failures come from the same root: an incomplete picture of the estate's assets and debts on the day you file.

What actually counts

Assets held solely in the deceased's name are the core of what is taxed. Real property held jointly with a surviving spouse generally passes outside the estate, as do assets with named beneficiaries, such as RRSPs, TFSAs and life insurance, when a beneficiary is named. This is why discovery comes first: before you can calculate the tax correctly, you need to know what the estate actually holds and what it actually owes.

Where Succession Intel fits

Succession Intel handles the research and compilation of assets and debts. We identify the accounts, holdings and creditor claims, reconcile them, and deliver a Estate Research Report within 5 business days of intake completion. Whether you file yourself or work with a lawyer, the report gives the process its starting numbers.