Where does the 3.5% executor fee come from?

It is the statutory default tariff for executor remuneration in South Africa. The executor may charge 3.5% of the gross value of the estate assets, plus 6% on income the estate collects after death. VAT is added where the executor is VAT registered. The tariff is a maximum, not a floor, and you can negotiate it.

What does the Master of the High Court charge?

The Master's fee is a fixed statutory scale on the gross value of the estate. It is nil under R250 000, and R600 up to R400 000. Above R400 000 it adds R200 for each complete R100 000, and it is capped at R7 000.

What does winding up an estate cost?

Most of what an estate costs is standard, whoever administers it. Move the slider to see the statutory figures on an estate this size.

Gross value of the estate Income the estate will earn after death (rental, interest, optional) Executor is VAT registered (banks and trust companies are)

Calculated on this estate

Executor's remuneration, 3.5% on assets: R 0
Income collection, 6%: R 0
Master's fee: R 0
Statutory administration cost: R 0

These figures are indicative only. They exclude the taxes and costs below, which depend on the estate.

Tax, where it applies

Estate dutyNone

Capital gains taxper asset

On death, SARS treats the estate's assets as sold at their market value. The first R3 000 000 of growth on a primary home is excluded. Anything left to a spouse is deferred. The figure therefore depends entirely on what was paid for each asset, so we work it out per estate.

Other costs the estate carries

Selling a property

Where the estate sells a property, the costs come out of the estate. They are the estate agent's commission (commonly 5 to 7.5% plus VAT), bond cancellation, rates and levy clearance, the conveyancer's fees, and a valuation. These costs vary with the property, and the figures above do not include them.

Advertising

Every estate carries two notices: the creditors' notice and the account-inspection notice. Each one runs in the Government Gazette and a local newspaper.

Government Gazette, per notice (fixed countrywide): R 37.82
Local newspaper, per notice (Gauteng): R 400
Local newspaper, per notice (Cape Town): R 1 020

Newspaper rates vary by title and province; the Gazette rate is set nationally.

Our fee is agreed with you up front.

The tariff is a default, not a rule. Once we understand the estate, you will know our fee before you commit to anything.

Ask us what this estate would actually cost

Where the numbers come from

Executor's remuneration defaults to 3.5% of the gross value of the assets and 6% on income collected after death, plus VAT where the executor is VAT registered. Gross means before debts. The tariff is a maximum default, and you can negotiate it.

The Master's fee is a fixed scale: nil under R250 000, R600 up to R400 000, then R200 for each complete R100 000 above that, capped at R7 000.

Estate duty is 20% of the dutiable estate, and 25% above R30 million. It is charged after a R3.5 million abatement and a full deduction for anything left to a surviving spouse. Most estates therefore pay none. The fuller answer lives in the FAQ: What does an executor cost in South Africa?