British Columbia Probate Fees: How They're Calculated

British Columbia charges no probate fee on estates worth $25,000 or less, then $6 per $1,000 on the portion from $25,000 to $50,000 and $14 per $1,000 on everything above $50,000, plus a separate $200 court application fee for any estate over $25,000.

How British Columbia calculates the probate fee

BC's probate fee is set out in the Probate Fee Act and applies when an executor (or an administrator, if there is no will) asks the Supreme Court of BC to issue a grant of probate or a grant of administration. The fee is calculated in three parts.

1. The first $25,000 of estate value is free. If the gross value of the estate is $25,000 or less, no probate fee is charged at all, though the $200 court application fee described below still generally applies once an application is filed.
2. The portion from $25,000 to $50,000 is charged at $6 for every $1,000, or part of $1,000. A $30,000 portion above the threshold, for example, is charged as six full $1,000 units.
3. The portion above $50,000 is charged at $14 for every $1,000, or part of $1,000. This higher rate applies only to the value that exceeds $50,000, not to the whole estate.

The "or part of $1,000" language means the value is always rounded up to the next whole $1,000 before the rate is applied. An estate worth $50,500 is treated as $51,000 for the purposes of the fee on the portion above $50,000.

The $200 court application fee

Separate from the value-based probate fee, the Supreme Court of BC charges a court application (filing) fee when the probate application is submitted. That fee is currently $200 and applies to estates over $25,000, in addition to whatever the value-based fee works out to. It is paid at the same time the application, the required affidavits, and the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Distribution are filed with the court registry.

Because court filing fees are set under the Supreme Court Civil Rules and can change, confirm the current amount with the Supreme Court of BC or the court registry before filing.

Worked examples

The table below shows the total BC probate fee, including the $200 court application fee, for several estate values.

Two of these are worth walking through in full.

A $100,000 estate: the portion from $25,000 to $50,000 is $25,000, charged at $6 per $1,000, which is $150. The portion above $50,000 is $50,000, charged at $14 per $1,000, which is $700. Add the $200 court application fee, and the total is $150 + $700 + $200 = $1,050.

A $500,000 estate: the portion from $25,000 to $50,000 is again $25,000, so $150. The portion above $50,000 is $450,000, charged at $14 per $1,000, which is $6,300. Add the $200 filing fee, and the total is $150 + $6,300 + $200 = $6,650.

For any other estate value, our Canada probate fee calculator applies this same formula automatically and can compare the result against other provinces.

What assets count toward the estate's value

BC's probate fee is charged on the value of assets that actually pass through the estate and require the grant to be transferred or sold. Not everything a person owned at death falls into that category.

Assets that generally count toward the fee include:

• Real estate registered solely in the deceased's name (at its net value, after any mortgage).
• Bank accounts and investments held solely in the deceased's name.
• Vehicles, personal property, and business interests owned outright by the deceased.

Assets that generally pass outside the estate, and are not counted, include:

• Property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, such as a house or bank account owned jointly with a spouse. It passes directly to the surviving joint owner by operation of law.
• RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, and life insurance policies with a named beneficiary (other than the estate itself). These pay out directly to the named person.
• Assets held in a properly funded trust that was already in existence before death.

The executor lists the estate's assets and their values in a Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Distribution filed with the probate application, and the court registry can review that valuation. Getting this classification right matters, since misclassifying a jointly held or beneficiary-designated asset as part of the estate would overstate the probate fee owed.

British Columbia has no separate inheritance tax

BC, like every Canadian province, does not have an inheritance tax or an estate tax. The probate fee described here is not a tax on what a beneficiary inherits. It is a court fee charged against the value of the estate itself, paid by the estate before assets are distributed, to cover the cost of the court confirming the will and the executor's authority.

Separately, the deceased's own final income tax return (their T1 for the year of death) may include tax on a deemed disposition of capital property, a federal Canada Revenue Agency matter that is distinct from BC's probate fee. An executor should not distribute the estate's remaining assets until the CRA has issued a clearance certificate confirming all of the deceased's and the estate's taxes are paid.

Paying the fee and applying for probate

The probate fee and the $200 court application fee are paid to the Supreme Court of BC registry at the time the application for a grant of probate (or grant of administration, if there is no will) is filed. The executor must first value the estate as of the date of death, prepare the required forms, including the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Distribution, and give notice to beneficiaries and, in some cases, the deceased's spouse and children, before or when filing.

For a broader look at how the probate process works across Canada, including timelines and what happens after the grant is issued, see our page on probate in Canada. Executors handling a BC estate should also review executor duties in Canada for the steps that follow the grant, from opening an estate account to obtaining the CRA clearance certificate.

How BC compares to other provinces

BC's combined rate works out to roughly 1.4% on the value above $50,000, once the $200 filing fee is factored in on smaller estates it becomes a smaller share of the total as the estate grows. That puts BC below Ontario's roughly 1.5% marginal rate but above flat-fee provinces like Alberta. See our Ontario probate fees page for a full breakdown of Ontario's Estate Administration Tax, or the Canada probate fee calculator to compare BC against every other province for a specific estate value. For a wider overview of how probate works across the country, visit the wills, probate, and estates hub.

Related reading: probate in Canada, Ontario probate fees, executor duties in Canada, the wills, probate, and estates hub, and the Canada probate fee calculator to estimate a fee for any BC estate value.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about British Columbia probate fees and is not legal advice. Fees, thresholds, and procedures change over time. Confirm current figures with the Probate Fee Act, the Supreme Court of BC, or a licensed BC lawyer or notary before relying on them for a specific estate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does probate cost in British Columbia?

There is no fee on the first $25,000 of estate value. Above that, the fee is $6 per $1,000 on the portion from $25,000 to $50,000, and $14 per $1,000 on the portion above $50,000, plus a separate $200 court application fee for estates over $25,000. A $100,000 estate works out to $1,050 in total.

Is there a probate fee on small estates in BC?

No. Estates valued at $25,000 or less pay no probate fee under the Probate Fee Act. A court application fee may still apply if an application is filed with the Supreme Court of BC.

What is the $200 fee for in BC probate?

It is a separate court application (filing) fee charged by the Supreme Court of BC when the probate application is submitted, on top of the value-based probate fee. It applies to estates over $25,000 and is set under the Supreme Court Civil Rules.

What assets are excluded from BC's probate fee?

Assets held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, and RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, and life insurance policies with a named beneficiary other than the estate, generally pass outside the estate and are not counted toward the probate fee.

Does British Columbia have an inheritance tax?

No. BC has no inheritance or estate tax. The probate fee is a court charge on the estate's value, separate from any income tax owed on the deceased's final return for a deemed disposition of capital property.

Who pays BC's probate fee?

The estate pays it. The executor pays the fee from estate funds when filing the application with the Supreme Court of BC, before any assets are distributed to beneficiaries.