Independent · Primary-sourced · England & Wales
estatecosts.

The cost of settling an estate, plainly reckoned.


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Estate cost calculator

Last reviewed 18 August 2026

Most guides give a national average; this reckoner adds the components that actually apply to your estate — the fixed government fee, your chosen route, and any inheritance tax due.

Reckon your estate

Estate cost calculator
Estimated total
£—
Indicative only. The government fee is exact; solicitor fees vary by firm; inheritance tax depends on reliefs and exemptions. Verify before acting.

How it is worked out

The government fee is exact (£526 over £5,000, nothing below). Solicitor charges are shown as a range because they are set per firm. Inheritance tax is estimated at 40% of the value above your available allowances (£325,000, plus £175,000 where the home passes to children, doubled for couples). The result is indicative — confirm every figure before acting.

Questions

Is the estimate exact?+
The court fee is exact; solicitor and tax figures are indicative and depend on your circumstances.
Does it include the 2027 pension change?+
This version estimates the current position. Pension funds enter the estate for IHT from 6 April 2027.

Sources. GOV.UK, Applying for probate: fees; GOV.UK Inheritance Tax rates and allowances.