CLA welcomes scrapping of plans to increase probate fees

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Following a campaign by The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and others, the Government has dropped plans that would have seen probate fees rise from £155 up to £20,000 for some estates in England and Wales.

The Ministry of Justice said there was now not enough time for the legislation – dubbed a “stealth death tax” by critics – to go through Parliament with the general election set to take place on 8 June.

CLA Senior Legal Adviser Roger Tetlow said: “We strongly oppose this unjustified death tax and it is a relief that it will now not be introduced. We will urge the next government to abandon this regressive plan.”

CLA Director North Dorothy Fairburn said: “Probate fees should be used to cover the administrative expenses of applying for probate, and not as a backdoor tax.

"The proposed probate fees would have been disproportionate to the service provided by the Probate Registry.

"For some, this rise in fees could have caused sever cash flow difficulties in applying for probate at a difficult time following the bereavement of a loved one.”