Probate fee changes: loveMONEY readers express their anger

Four in five readers polled said they were opposed to the Government's changes, with some calling them a “dog’s dinner” and “legalised theft”.

A revamp of the charges families will have to pay when administering a loved one’s estate have not gone down well with readers.

We wrote yesterday about how probate fees could soar up to £6,000 under Government plans, although smaller estate won’t need to pay anything.

We asked you what you thought of the changes: as the poll results below show, four in five are opposed.

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As usual, we had some really well-reasoned comments beneath the article explaining why some of you voted the way you did. But before we get to them, here's a recap of what's changing for the benefit of those who missed yesterday's article

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How probate fees are changing

At the moment, there are two possible probate fees to consider. If you plan to carry out the process yourself and apply in person then you will have to pay £215.

However, if you get a solicitor to handle it for you, that fee falls to £155.

This is changing from next April, with the Government pushing ahead with banded fees, which increase with the size of the estate, as the table below details:

In other words, if you leave an estate worth less than £50,000, then your family won’t need to pay anything.

But if the estate is worth more than £50,000, your loved ones are going to have to cover a more significant bill, while those with even larger estates will have to pay vastly bigger fees.

The fees are still in many cases lower than those originally planned by the Government, with a maximum fee of 0.5% of the estate now in place, rather than the 1% cap previously suggested.

Learn more about cutting your Inheritance Tax bill with this guide

What readers had to say

Regular reader Quarket pointed out that the charges were more punitive on those with smaller estates.

An estate worth between £50,001 and £300,000 would incur a 0.5% levy, compared to just 0.3% for those above £2 million. And the percentage would fall further still if the estate was more valuable.

Quarket added: “Can we have the name of the individual who came up with this dog's dinner of bands please so that we can ask him or her to explain it to us?

“For goodness sake, make it a fixed fee or a fixed percentage and stop taking every opportunity to make taxes more complicated than they already are.”

Another reader, Trevski2001, added: "I would be inclined to use the income tax model.

“Raise the fee-free amount to £100,000 (which is not a lot these days especially when you take into account the grossly overpriced property market) and charge £100,001 to £1 million at 0.2% and over a million at 0.3%.

“It's a good idea to index link these things. I also agree with the fact that the highest band is less in percentage terms than any of the others can no way be truly called 'progressive'.”

More succinctly, OLIVERW, stated: “Probate fees and inheritance tax are clear examples of legalised theft.”

It’s worth noting not everyone who commented was opposed to the changed. SAILOR DAVE felt they made the costs fairer and actually called for them to rise further for exceptionally high-value estates.

“Personally, I see taxes as the price we pay for civilisation and these taxes are the least painful – after all you're dead when you pay them.

"Those who inherit are getting an unearned windfall. If it's as much as £2m, I find it very hard to feel sympathy for them having to share a mere £6,000 with the rest of us.

"The new probate fees are fairer than the previous flat fee. My only criticism is they don't go on rising if you inherit £20 million or £200 million.”

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What do you think? Are the changes overly complex? A blatant money grab? Do they favour the super-rich? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.