Ontario Probate Fees: The $150,000 Shortcut Most Guides Skip

August 24, 2026 4 Min Read

Ontario probate fees, officially called the Estate Administration Tax, follow a simple formula: nothing on the first $50,000, then $15 for every $1,000 above that. What most guides don’t mention is a real shortcut. For estates worth $150,000 or less, Ontario has run a simplified court process since 2021. Even the deepest, most recently updated guide on this topic skips it entirely.

Quick Answer: Ontario Probate Fees

Ontario’s Estate Administration Tax is $0 on the first $50,000 of an estate’s value. Above that, it’s $15 per $1,000, or 1.5%. A $400,000 estate would pay roughly $5,250 in probate fees. If the estate is worth $150,000 or less, and doesn’t include real estate the deceased owned alone, you may qualify for Ontario’s Small Estate Certificate. That’s a simpler, cheaper court process than a standard probate application, and it’s been available since 2021 under Rule 74.1.

How the Estate Administration Tax Is Actually Calculated

The formula is simple once you see it written out. Take the estate’s value, subtract $50,000, then take 1.5% of what’s left. A $200,000 estate pays nothing on the first $50,000. It pays 1.5% on the remaining $150,000. That works out to $2,250. A $1,000,000 estate pays 1.5% on $950,000, or $14,250. The tax is based only on assets that actually need probate. Some assets skip probate entirely. Property held in joint tenancy, or accounts with a named beneficiary, don’t count toward this figure at all.

The $150,000 Shortcut Most Guides Don’t Mention

Here’s what a 3,500-4,000 word guide on this exact topic, updated as recently as 5 May 2026, never brings up. Since 2021, Ontario has offered a Small Estate Certificate. It’s for estates worth $150,000 or less. It’s a simpler court application under Rule 74.1, and it usually means less paperwork and a faster process than the standard route. The only source that covers it clearly hasn’t been updated since September 2023. Most people reading the newer, deeper guides simply never hear about it.

Who Actually Qualifies for the Small Estate Certificate

The estate must be worth $150,000 or less to qualify. Here’s the catch that trips people up. This process generally can’t be used if the estate includes real estate the deceased owned alone. A property held in joint tenancy is usually fine, since it passes outside the estate anyway. But solely-owned real estate normally sends you back to the standard application, no matter the total estate value. The process also assumes there’s no dispute among beneficiaries and no conflicting claims on the estate.

How to Apply Once Ontario Probate Fees Are Confirmed

The application goes through the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. You list the specific assets you want authority over. You don’t declare the whole estate at once. That’s different from a standard application, and it’s part of why the process tends to move faster. Court forms for this exact process sit on Ontario’s own court forms website. They’re built just for Rule 74.1, not repurposed standard probate forms. Not sure if your estate qualifies? A quick check against the $150,000 limit and the real-estate rule above should give you the answer before you start any paperwork.

Standard Probate vs. the Small Estate Certificate

A standard Certificate of Appointment gives the executor power over every asset in the estate. That’s true whether or not each asset was named in the form. A Small Estate Certificate works differently. The estate trustee only gets power over the assets named in that form, nothing more. It’s a narrower scope. But for a simple, small estate, that’s usually all you need, without the extra cost and paperwork of the full process.

FAQ: Ontario Probate Fees

How are Ontario probate fees calculated?
Nothing on the first $50,000 of the estate’s value. Above that, it’s $15 per $1,000, or 1.5%. So a $300,000 estate pays $3,750 in Estate Administration Tax.

Is there a simplified probate process for smaller estates in Ontario?
Yes. Ontario’s Small Estate Certificate, available since 2021 under Rule 74.1, offers a simpler process for estates worth $150,000 or less, as long as there’s no solely-owned real estate involved.

What is the threshold for Ontario’s Small Estate Certificate?
$150,000. Estates above that value need the standard probate application.

Do all assets count toward the Estate Administration Tax calculation?
No. Assets that bypass probate, such as jointly-held property with survivorship rights or accounts with a named beneficiary, generally aren’t included in the taxable estate value.

Can real estate be included in a Small Estate Certificate application?
Only if it’s held in joint tenancy with survivorship rights, since that passes outside the estate. Real estate owned solely by the deceased generally disqualifies the estate from this simplified process.