Built on the Estates Acts and SARS guidance
Settle an estate with clarity
When someone close to you dies, the paperwork can feel endless. Work out the executor's fee, estate duty and capital gains tax, see who inherits without a will, and follow the Master's Office steps with real due dates. Free, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
- Sources: the Acts, the Master and SARS
- Reviewed 30 October 2026
- No sign-up, no data collected
Tools
Calculators update as you type. The checklist downloads as a PDF.
Costs and tax Executor's and Master's fees, estate duty and capital gains tax on death
Executor's fee calculator
The 3.5% tariff on assets, 6% on income after death, VAT and the Master's fees.
Open calculatorEstate duty calculator
Net estate, the R3.5 million abatement, the spouse deduction and duty at 20% and 25%.
Open calculatorCapital gains tax on death
Estimate the CGT in the final tax return, with the R440 000 year-of-death exclusion.
Open calculatorInheritance and the process Who inherits without a will, and every step from reporting the death to the final distribution
The numbers at a glance
- Report the death to the Master
- 14 days
- Letter of Authority instead of Letters
- ≤ R250 000
- Executor's fee tariff
- 3.5%
- Estate duty abatement
- R3 500 000
- CGT exclusion in the year of death
- R440 000
- Spouse's minimum without a will
- R250 000
with the death notice (J294) and the original will (AEA s7 and s8)
simpler procedure for small estates (s18(3), GN R920 of 2014)
of gross assets, plus 6% of income after death, plus VAT if registered (Reg 8)
then 20% up to R30 000 000 and 25% above (Estate Duty Act)
and R3 000 000 on the main home, from 1 March 2026 (SARS)
or a child's share if that is more (Intestate Succession Act s1(1)(c))
Plain-English guides
What the law says, with section numbers, so you can check it.
Reporting an estate to the Master
Where and when to report, the J-forms, Letters of Executorship and the Letter of Authority.
Read the guideIntestate succession explained
Who inherits when there is no valid will, with examples.
Read the guideWills basics
What makes a will valid in South Africa, witnesses, and common mistakes.
Read the guideEstate duty and taxes on death
Estate duty, capital gains tax, the final tax return and the SARS steps.
Read the guideWhy KayaLegacy?
Official sources only
Every figure links to the Act, the regulations, the Master of the High Court or SARS. Points we have not yet confirmed are flagged on the page.
Written for families
Plain language for people dealing with a loss, not jargon for professionals. Each step says what to do, which form to use and when.
Private by design
Calculations and the checklist PDF are created in your browser. Names and values are never sent to us.