Government plans to introduce a ‘death tax’ could hit grieving families with a £6,000 bill.

The cost of securing probate is set to rise in April. This is the fee paid to apply for the legal right to deal with a deceased person’s estate.

The current fees mean that families pay £215 probate fee if the estate is valued at £5,000 or over, or no fee is paid if the estate is valued under £5,000. Whether the person who died left a will or not, the fees apply.

From April, families will have to pay a £250 charge on estates valued at £50,000-£300,000. This rises to £6,000 for those worth more than £2million.

The probate fee increases will see the Ministry of Justice bring in an extra £185million per year by 2022/23.

Plans for the increases to hike probate fees were revealed in November 2018. The fact the ‘death tax’ is classed as a fee means MPs do not get to vote on it. The only way it can be overturned is by an MP issuing a formal protest in the chamber.

Lib Dem Sir Vince Cable called the fees “a clear abuse of executive power”.

The Government says that 80% of people who will have to pay the fees on estates will pay £750 or less.

Story taken from The Sun.

Instruct Finders to find a missing heir or carry out probate research.