﻿{"id":3250,"date":"2026-01-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/?p=3250"},"modified":"2026-04-03T02:54:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T00:54:38","slug":"executor-fees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2026\/01\/15\/executor-fees\/","title":{"rendered":"How to set Executor Fees"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#555;\">The original version of this text appeared on 26 March 2022. The text received its last update on 18 January 2026.<\/p>\n<section style=\"background:#f0f7fb;border-left:4px solid #2980b9;padding:20px 24px;margin-bottom:32px;border-radius:4px;\">\n<strong>TL;DR:<\/strong> In South Africa, executor fees are capped at 3.5% of the gross estate value plus VAT under the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965. You can negotiate a lower fee in your Will. Professional executors charge maximum rates; family executors may charge less or waive fees. Setting executor fees in your Will saves your estate money.<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<article><main><\/p>\n<p>TL;DR: The Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965 limits executor fees in South Africa to 3.5% of the total estate value together with VAT charges. You can negotiate a lower fee in your Will. Professional executors operate at their highest fee levels but family members who serve as executors might reduce their fees or perform their duties for free. Your estate will save money when you establish executor fees through your Will.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" height=\"431\" width=\"646\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3252\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2026\/01\/15\/executor-fees\/young-family-managing-budget-reviewing-their-bank-accounts-using-generic-laptop-pc-and-calculator-in-kitchen-husband-and-wife-doing-paperwork-together-paying-taxes-online-on-notebook-computer\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Young-couple-working-with-paperword-and-laptop-scaled-1.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Young family managing budget, reviewing their bank accounts using generic laptop pc and calculator in kitchen. Husband and wife doing paperwork together, paying taxes online on notebook computer\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Young family managing budget, reviewing their bank accounts using generic laptop pc and calculator in kitchen. Husband and wife doing paperwork together, paying taxes online on notebook computer&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Young-couple-working-with-paperword-and-laptop-scaled-1.jpg?fit=646%2C431&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Young-couple-working-with-paperword-and-laptop-1024x683.jpg?resize=646%2C431&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Setting Executor fees in your Will\" class=\"wp-image-3252\"><\/p>\n<h2>What Are Executor Fees in South Africa?<\/h2>\n<p>South African law protects estate administration fees through the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965 which establishes a maximum of 3.5% for estate administration fees together with VAT charges on the entire estate value. The process of creating and obtaining payment for these services through your Will will help you save money for your estate.<\/p>\n<h2>How Are Executor Fees Calculated?<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:20px 0;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#f5f5f5;\">\n<th style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">Gross Estate Value<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">Max Fee (3.5%)<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">With VAT (4.025%)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R1,000,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R35,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R40,250<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R5,000,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R175,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R201,250<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R10,000,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R350,000<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px;border:1px solid #ddd;\">R402,500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"524\" data-attachment-id=\"3254\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2026\/01\/15\/executor-fees\/alternate-executor-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Alternate-Executor.jpeg?fit=696%2C565&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"696,565\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Alternate-Executor\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Alternate-Executor.jpeg?fit=646%2C524&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Alternate-Executor.jpeg?resize=646%2C524&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Appointing an alternate Executor at LegalWills.ca\" class=\"wp-image-3254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Alternate-Executor.jpeg?w=696&amp;ssl=1 696w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Alternate-Executor.jpeg?resize=300%2C244&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Can You Negotiate Executor Fees?<\/h2>\n<p>The person who controls your estate after death receives executor fees for their work. The law sets an upper limit which allows estate administrators to receive 3.5% from total estate value together with 15% VAT which equals about 4.025% from total estate value.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What is the maximum executor fee in South Africa?<\/h3>\n<p>Gross Estate Value<\/p>\n<h3>Can I set a lower executor fee in my Will?<\/h3>\n<p>Max Fee (3.5%)<\/p>\n<p><\/main><\/article>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Article\",\"headline\":\"Executor Fees in South Africa: How to Set and Negotiate Them\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Tim Hewson\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"LegalWills.co.za\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-26\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-18\"}<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the maximum executor fee in South Africa?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"3.5% of gross estate value plus VAT (approximately 4.025% total).\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can I negotiate executor fees in my Will?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. Specify a lower fee in your Will and discuss with your chosen executor.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The original version of this text appeared on 26 March 2022. The text received its last update on 18 January 2026. TL;DR: In South Africa, executor fees are capped at 3.5% of the gross estate value plus VAT under the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965. You can negotiate a lower fee in your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":true},"categories":[3],"tags":[33,15],"class_list":["post-3250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-executors-probate","tag-executors","tag-wills"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>How to set Executor Fees - The S.A. 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He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets and has contributed to articles in most leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books. 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The Attorneys Act 53 of 1979 and the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"lawyers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/83501061_m.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/83501061_m.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/83501061_m.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1925,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/10\/estate-planning-lawyer\/","url_meta":{"origin":3250,"position":3},"title":"Estate Planning Lawyer in South Africa? 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Your executor will need your Will, financial records, property documents, insurance policies, and digital account information. 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Key terms: testator (person making the Will), beneficiary (person receiving assets), executor (person administering the estate), probate (legal estate administration), intestate (dying without a Will), codicil (Will amendment), and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wills","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/category\/wills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Executor2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Executor2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Executor2.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Executor2.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf2wKL-Qq","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3250"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4065,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250\/revisions\/4065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}