Re the Estate of Wilma Bouma 2018 BCSC 1466 involved in application brought by the administrator of the estate of the deceased for an order pursuant to section 2(4) of the Probate Fee act to increase the declared value as of death from $211,300-$315,000.
The deceased had use the notice of assessment issued in 2016 that set the value of the property at $211,300, while a subsequent appraisal indicated that the value of the property as of death was in fact $315,000.
The court found that the notice of assessment while issued in 2016, really reflected the relevant time of value for the assessment as of July 1, 2015, and not 2016.
The court ordered that the value of the property as of the date of death was $315,000 and directed that the probate registry process the supplemental affidavit of assets and liabilities based on the larger amount.
The court stated as an aside that the real reason for the application was to not only reflect the true value as of the property as of the date of death, but that the purpose of same was to in effect reduce the amount of capital gains taxes that would be payable on the property.
The effect of the increased value substantially reduce the amount of capital gains taxes payable on the approximate difference of $100,000, while the additional probate fee would only be 1.4% of the additional value namely $1451.