Nova Scotia Probate Fees: Schedule, Rates and Examples

Nova Scotia charges a Probate Court fee, which its own statute calls a "tax," using fixed dollar tiers for estates up to $100,000 and then a fixed base amount plus $16.95 for every $1,000, or part of $1,000, above that threshold, the highest marginal probate rate of any Canadian province.

What Nova Scotia's Probate Fee Actually Is

When someone dies owning assets in Nova Scotia, the executor named in the will (or, if there is no will, the person applying to administer the estate) generally needs a grant from the Probate Court before a bank, the Registry of Deeds, or an investment firm will release or transfer the deceased's property.

Nova Scotia's own Costs and Fees Act labels the charge for this a "tax," but it works the same way probate fees do in every other province: a one-time charge collected by the Probate Court, based on the value of the estate, paid when the application for a grant is filed.

This is not an inheritance tax, and it is not calculated on what any individual beneficiary receives. It is calculated once, against the total value of the assets that pass through the estate and require a grant.

Nova Scotia Probate Court Fee Schedule

The fee schedule is set out in the regulations under the Costs and Fees Act, R.S.N.S. c. 104, and administered by the Probate Court. The tiers below are the currently published schedule (still in effect; always confirm the exact cents against the Probate Court's own fee table before filing, since brackets are adjusted periodically):

Below $100,000, the charge is a fixed dollar figure tied to which bracket the estate falls into, not a percentage. Only once an estate passes $100,000 does the fee turn into a running rate, and that rate, roughly 1.695% on the portion above $100,000, is the highest marginal probate rate charged anywhere in Canada. By comparison, Ontario charges about 1.5% above its $50,000 threshold, and British Columbia tops out around 1.4% above $50,000.

How the Rate Above $100,000 Is Calculated

For any estate over $100,000, the formula is:

Probate tax = $1,002.65 + ($16.95 x number of $1,000 increments, or part of an increment, above $100,000)

Nova Scotia rounds every partial $1,000 up to the next full increment, the same "or portion thereof" rule used in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. An estate valued at $100,100, for example, is charged for one full $1,000 increment even though only $100 of it sits above the threshold.

Worked Examples

A $200,000 estate: the amount over $100,000 is $100,000, or 100 increments of $1,000. The fee is $1,002.65 + (100 x $16.95) = $1,002.65 + $1,695.00 = $2,697.65.

A $500,000 estate: the amount over $100,000 is $400,000, or 400 increments of $1,000. The fee is $1,002.65 + (400 x $16.95) = $1,002.65 + $6,780.00 = $7,782.65.

A $50,000 estate: this falls in the "over $25,000 to $50,000" bracket, so the fee is the flat $358.15, with no per-thousand calculation involved.

Use the Canada probate fee calculator to estimate the fee for a specific Nova Scotia estate value, or to compare it against another province's rules.

What Counts Toward the Estate's Value

The fee is charged on the value of the property that actually requires a grant from the Probate Court, valued as of the date of death. This generally includes real property registered solely in the deceased's name, bank and investment accounts held solely in the deceased's name, and other personal property passing under the will or on intestacy.

It generally does not include property that passes outside the estate: real property or bank accounts held jointly with a right of survivorship, and RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, or life insurance policies with a named beneficiary other than the estate itself. Those assets transfer directly to the survivor or named beneficiary and are not part of the value the Probate Court uses to calculate the fee.

Paying the Fee and Getting the Grant

The fee is paid to the Probate Court in the registration district where the deceased lived, at the time the application for a grant (probate if there is a will, or letters of administration if there is not) is filed. The same charge also covers the court issuing one original grant, one compared and certified copy of the will and grant, one certificate of status, and one certified copy of the will, along with recording a certified copy at the Registry of Deeds where real property is involved.

A separate charge (currently $133.35) applies for each additional grant beyond the first. The Probate Court's published fee table also lists smaller, flat charges for individual services, such as issuing a citation, filing a notice of appeal, or preparing extra certified copies, all of which are separate flat dollar amounts rather than a percentage of the estate.

Nova Scotia Has No Inheritance Tax

Nova Scotia, like every other Canadian province, does not impose an inheritance or estate tax on beneficiaries. What is commonly called a "probate fee" here (Nova Scotia's own statute calls it a tax) is a court charge for the Probate Court's service of formally confirming the will and the executor's or administrator's authority, calculated against the value of the estate passing through probate.

It is not a tax levied against what a beneficiary personally receives, and it is separate from the deceased's own final income tax return, which the executor must still file with the Canada Revenue Agency before the estate is fully wound up.

Common Ways Estates Reduce What Goes Through Probate

Because the fee is charged only on assets that pass through the estate, some Nova Scotians structure part of their affairs so certain assets bypass probate entirely. Naming a beneficiary directly on an RRSP, RRIF, TFSA, or life insurance policy sends those funds straight to that person, outside the estate and outside the probate calculation.

Holding a bank account or a home as joint tenants with a right of survivorship works the same way for the surviving joint owner, though joint ownership carries its own legal and family complications and should not be added purely to avoid a fee without understanding the consequences (a joint owner gains an immediate legal interest, and the arrangement can be contested by other beneficiaries). Naming the estate itself as beneficiary of a registered account, by contrast, pulls that value back into the probate calculation.

None of these strategies are guaranteed to work exactly as intended in every case, and getting the details wrong can create bigger problems than the probate fee it was meant to avoid. A lawyer or notary familiar with Nova Scotia estate planning can advise whether a particular structure suits a specific estate.

How Nova Scotia Compares to Other Provinces

Nova Scotia's tiered-then-per-thousand structure resembles the approach used in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (small fixed fees at the bottom, then a running rate above a threshold), but its top marginal rate of roughly 1.695% is noticeably higher than either of them. For comparison, our Ontario probate fees page walks through Ontario's $0-below-$50,000, roughly-1.5%-above structure, and our probate in Canada overview compares all ten provinces side by side, including Alberta's flat capped schedule and Manitoba's fee-free system.

See the wills, probate, and estates in Canada hub for related topics like making a will, executor duties, and powers of attorney.

Estimate Your Nova Scotia Probate Fee

Because the fee changes at every bracket and then compounds per $1,000 above $100,000, calculating it by hand is easy to get wrong on a larger estate. The Canada probate fee calculator applies Nova Scotia's current tiers automatically and lets you compare the result against another province's rules.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about Nova Scotia probate fees and is not legal or tax advice. Fee schedules are set by regulation and change periodically. Confirm the current figures with the Nova Scotia Probate Court before filing, and consult a licensed lawyer for advice on a specific estate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much are probate fees in Nova Scotia?

It depends on the estate's value. Nova Scotia charges fixed amounts up to $100,000, ranging from $85.60 to $1,002.65 depending on the bracket, then $1,002.65 plus $16.95 for every $1,000, or part of $1,000, above $100,000.

Why does Nova Scotia call it a tax instead of a fee?

The Costs and Fees Act itself labels the charge a tax, but it functions the same way probate fees do elsewhere in Canada: a one-time court charge tied to the estate's value, not an ongoing tax and not a tax on what a beneficiary receives.

Is Nova Scotia's probate rate really the highest in Canada?

Yes, on a marginal basis. Once an estate passes $100,000, the roughly 1.695% rate charged on the excess is higher than Ontario's approximately 1.5%, British Columbia's approximately 1.4%, and every other province's per-thousand rate.

Does the probate fee apply the same way regardless of who inherits?

Yes. The fee schedule applies to any estate that needs a grant from the Probate Court, regardless of who the beneficiaries are. Only jointly held assets and accounts with a named beneficiary bypass the fee, not who ultimately inherits.

Does Nova Scotia have an inheritance tax on top of the probate fee?

No. Nova Scotia and every other Canadian province have no inheritance or estate tax. The probate fee is the only estate-value-based charge collected at the provincial level.

Can I calculate the exact Nova Scotia probate fee myself?

Yes. For estates over $100,000, take $1,002.65 and add $16.95 for each $1,000, rounding any partial $1,000 up to a full increment. The Canada probate fee calculator applies this formula automatically.