Estate Tax Calculator
Estimate the tax at death on RRSPs, RRIFs, investments, cottages and rentals, plus probate, and what spouse rollovers save. Free and private.
The short version
- Canada has no estate tax by name. The tax at death is income tax on the final return: RRSPs and RRIFs become income, and investments, cottages and rentals are treated as sold. This calculator estimates it, plus probate.
- Example, Ontario: a widow with a $300,000 RRIF, $200,000 of investments that cost $120,000, a $900,000 home and a $100,000 TFSA. Final-return tax caused by the death: about $152,000. Probate on the home and investments: $15,750.
- Leave the same RRIF and investments to a spouse and the tax at death is $0 now; it's deferred to the spouse.
- Probate is calculated for Ontario, B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba; other provinces show income tax only.
- Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Estate Tax Calculator for Canada
Most families find out about the tax at death from the executor, after the funeral, when it's too late to change anything. A ten-minute estimate while everyone is still around changes that. You see which assets carry the tax (almost always the RRIF), which pass free (the home, the TFSA), and how much a beneficiary designation or a spouse rollover is worth. Then you can decide whether to plan, give, or simply leave a note for the executor.
What Gets Taxed at Death
| Asset | Tax on the final return | Probate (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| RRSP or RRIF | Full value is income, unless left to a spouse | Only if the estate is beneficiary |
| Non-registered investments | Half the gain | Yes, unless jointly held |
| Cottage or rental | Half the gain, plus recaptured CCA on a rental | Yes, unless jointly held |
| Principal residence | Usually none | Yes, unless jointly held |
| TFSA | None to the date of death | Only if the estate is beneficiary |
The rules in full: the final return and probate vs income tax. Cottage gains: cottage capital gains.
Want to lower the bill?
Give the assistant the same numbers plus your family situation. It compares beneficiary designations, RRIF drawdowns, gifting the cottage now and donations in the will, after tax and probate.
Ways the Number Comes Down
- Spouse rollovers defer everything until the second death; see marriage and taxes.
- Drawing the RRIF down in lower-income years before death, instead of all at once on the final return; see RRIF withdrawals.
- Donations in the will create a credit that can wipe out much of the final-return tax; see charitable donations.
- Named beneficiaries and joint ownership cut probate, but not income tax.
- The principal residence designation can be moved to the cottage for some years if that saves more; see principal residence exemption.
For the person handling it afterwards: executor tax responsibilities. And no, the heirs don't pay tax on what they receive; see inheritance tax in Canada.
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How much tax is paid on an estate in Canada?
There is no estate tax as such. The person who died is taxed on their final return as if they sold their assets: RRSPs and RRIFs are fully taxable unless left to a spouse, half of capital gains are taxable, and the principal residence and TFSA are usually tax-free. Provincial probate fees apply to assets passing through the will.
Is a RRIF taxed at death?
Yes. The full value is included in income on the final return unless it passes to a surviving spouse or common-law partner, or in some cases a financially dependent child or grandchild.
How much is probate in Ontario?
Ontario’s estate administration tax is $0 on the first $50,000 and $15 per $1,000 (1.5%) above that, on assets that pass through the will.
Does the calculator include the principal residence exemption?
Yes. The value you enter for the principal residence is treated as tax-free, and is only used for probate.
Why is the estimate higher than what my estate may actually owe?
It does not include donations in the will, medical expenses, optional returns or capital losses against other income, all of which can reduce the tax.
Sources: CRA, Doing taxes for someone who died; Ontario, Estate administration tax. Checked October 2026. Probate fees for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba follow the table on our probate page; B.C. also charges a court filing fee not included here. Results use 2026 rates with the age amount and basic credits.
Last reviewed October 5, 2026 against CRA and Government of Canada sources. How we check our facts.