If you are inheriting from someone who passed away on or after 1 January 2018, don’t blame the estate’s executor for one substantially-increased cost you may notice – Master’s Office fees.
They are calculated on the value of the deceased estate and were long overdue for an increase, going up sharply from the old maximum of R600 to a new maximum of R7,000 (which will apply to any estate of R3.6m or more).
See the table below for details –
| Value of Deceased Estate | Master’s Fees | |
| Before 1.1.18 | From 1.1.18 | |
| R15,000 or more but less than R17,000 | R42 | – |
| R17,000 or more – R6 for each additional R6,000 | + R6 / R6,000 | – |
| Subject to a maximum of | R600 | – |
| R250,000 or more but less than R400,000 | – | R600 |
| R400,000 or more – R200 for each additional R100,000 | – | + R200 / R100,000 |
| Subject to a maximum of | – | R7,000 |