04 Feb 2020

Probate fee hike finally scrapped

In 2017 we first heard that the £215 flat probate fee for all estates over £5,000 was to be dramatically increased.

Initially this was going to be as high as £20,000 for estates worth over £2 million, a 9,200 percent increase. The proposed fees were then lowered, with tiered fees of between £250 and £5,000 depending upon the estates value.

We have been waiting for this proposal to pass through government and delays abounded due to on-going parliamentary Brexit discussions, but the intention was always controversial, with calls of this being a tax rather than a fair payment for the additional administration involved.

Now, the government has dropped the plans to increase probate fees and will carry out a review of the system instead.