“having inherited property after the death of the parents, the notary alone spends tens of thousands of years running through the courts and tax authorities for more than six months” — a tragic experience of many people in the past. But when the “notarial system of notification of succession to immovable property” was fully established in 2026, it became completely simpler to inherit property! No more high notary fees, no more complicated court procedures, and one trip by the heirs to the real estate trading centre to bring their materials, cost only a few hundred dollars for one million house transfers. Today, new processes, lists of materials, standards of taxes and fees, and pit-shields are presented in one-off fashion, so that no one can go astray。
Focus first: new core changes in 2026, savings and savings
In the past, notarization of property was a “necessary route”, with notarization fees charged at 1 to 2 per cent of the value of the property, $1 million for notarization of the house alone amounting to r$12,000 and running from various departments of the notary office, the tax office and the real estate registry, which were cumbersome and time-consuming. These barriers were completely broken by the 2026 new regulations:
• exemption from compulsory notarization: the immovable property registry no longer requires the heir to provide a notary of succession, and can process a transfer directly on the basis of such materials as a death certificate, a will, a certificate of kinship, etc., which becomes “optional” rather than “necessary”。
• exemption from court proceedings: as long as all heirs reach agreement and there is no dispute, they will not be required to follow the litigation or conciliation process, save costs and lengthy trial time。
• window 1+1 closure: the centre has established a dedicated inheritance transfer window to enable “one-window processing and joint review” to be certified without running from multiple departments, submitting material on-site and completing verifications。
• a significant reduction in costs: legal inheritance is subject to a registration fee of only $80 and a stamp tax of five per 10,000, and the total cost of 1 million properties is around $585, almost a “zero cost” transfer。
Ms. Zhang from harbin was the beneficiary of the new regulations: when she inherited her parents ' property, she submitted her application without an office permit, brought all the materials to the trading centre, and received the new property certificate after 15 days of publicity, only 20 days before and after, and saved over 10,000 notary fees。
Core process: 3 moves to inherit, 1 move to the trading centre
In 2026, the process of succession to households was simplified to the greatest extent possible, whether it is legal or will, as long as there is no dispute:
Step one: complete 3 categories of core material, not needed
The preparation of materials is crucial, and it is possible to run in vain without a belt. It is recommended that originals and copies be prepared in advance:
1. Proof of identity and relationship: identity card, account book of all heirs; proof of kinship issued by the community or unit in case the account is not shared (proven relationship between heir and heir)。
2. Property and death certificate: original property certificate (or real estate title certificate); death certificate of the heir (medical death certificate from hospital or dealer's certificate from police station)。
3. Inheritance material: original wills in a will (self-authorization, printing, video-recorded wills, all of which are subject to the law); legal inheritance in the absence of wills, without the need to provide an additional basis for succession, are verified by the registry in accordance with the scope and order of heirs provided by law。
Additional information: if an heir renounces his/her inheritance, he/she must sign a declaration of renouncing inheritance (which can be filled in on site) and if there is a community of property (e. G. Joint property) he/she must provide a certificate of spousal consent or the relevant property allocation。
Step 2: on-site submissions, open window 1
All heirs (or commission agents) carry materials to the “inheritance window” of the real estate trading centre, and staff do so:
• checking the authenticity of the material: checking the originals of identity cards, property certificates, death certificates, etc., and confirming that the material is complete
• ask about the will of the heirs: confirm whether all heirs have consented to the succession programme and whether there are disputes
• recording of information and publicity: entry into the system of information on property, heirs' information and initiation of publicity for a period of 15-30 days (continues if no objection is raised or no objection is made)。
The entire process is completed in one window, without running from other departments, and the submission is followed by the receipt of the receipt certificate, which can then be followed up by the government's app for information on progress。
Step 3: publicity without objection to new property evidence
Upon completion of the announcement, if no other person objects to the title, the heir will be able to obtain the new property certificate at the trading centre at the time of notification:
• contributions: on-site payment of registration fees (80 yuan per residence and 550 yuan per non-residential) and stamp duty (0. 05 per cent of the assessed value of the property)
• certification: the staff member printed a certificate of real estate entitlement, issued on site and the entire process was completed。
From the submission to the receipt of new certificates, 20 to 30 days would have passed, which would have saved at least 3 to 6 months。
Breakdown of taxes and fees: legal inheritance costs are almost zero and non-direct inheritance costs more
Inheritance taxes vary widely, with the core looking at “inheritance status” and “inheritance mode”, where statutory inheritance is the least expensive and non-inheritance taxes are higher:
1. Legal succession (spouse, children, parents, etc.)
According to the law on taxes, legal heirs are exempt from tax on property, with only two fees:
• stamp duty: 0. 05 per cent of the assessed value of the property, plus a 5 yuan/book certificate stamp tax, totalling 505 yuan for 1 million properties
• registration fee: 80 yuan/lot for residential category and 550 yuan/lot for non-residential category for the production and registration of new property。
The total cost of inheriting one million dwellings is only $585 and is extremely low。
2. Inheritance outside the direct line (unlawful heirs such as nephews, nieces, friends, etc.)
Inheritance of property by an intestate relative, without the tax exemption policy, increases the tax fees significantly:
• taxes: 3 to 5 per cent of the assessed value of the property (which varies from province to province, and is implemented in most regions at 3 per cent) and 30,000 yuan for 1 million properties
• personal income tax: 20 per cent of the “transfer proceeds of property”, calculated as 20 per cent (real estate assessment price - original property value - reasonable cost) x 20 per cent, subject to a tax of 90,000 yuan if the property is originally worth 500,000, at a reasonable cost of 50,000
• stamp duty and registration fees: in line with statutory inheritance criteria, $585。
A set of 1 million properties with a total non-direct inheritance tax of approximately 1205. 8 million, far exceeding legal inheritance。
Key reminders: stamp duty must be paid in advance of the transfer, with a delay of 5 parts per day, which affects the progress of the transfer; if the family is the sole home and holds a residence for five years, the person's income tax may be waived if he/she does not pay the required tax。
Catalysing guide: 5 critical issues, do not step on these mines
1. The nullity of the will is free of charge
In 2026, the new regulations recognized the printing of wills and video wills, provided they met the legal requirements, otherwise they would be declared invalid:
• print wills: two non-interested witnesses must be present, and the testator and witness must sign on each page and indicate the date of the year
• video wills: the testator needs to express his identity and will clearly, and two witnesses need to be involved and present in the video。
In beijing, there was only one witness to the recording of an elderly person's will, which was eventually invalidated for non-compliance with the procedure and the property was subject to legal inheritance。
Inheritance of a single child in full, with recommendation of early will
Many single children assume that their parents' property will automatically inherit it in full. In the absence of a will from the parents, the property inherited by a married child is joint property of the spouses and may be divided upon divorce; if the parents are alive (i. E. Grandparents, grandparents), they are also the first heirs and have the right to share the share. Parents are advised to make a will in advance, expressly designating the property to be inherited by the sole child and avoiding subsequent disputes。
3. Mortgage/seizure of property, first released and then transferred
If the property that was inherited from the previous life is uncollected (mortgaged) or because the debt has been seized by the court, these problems will have to be resolved before it can be transferred:
• mortgage: the successor must first repay the remaining loan and release the mortgage registration
• blocked: there is a legal requirement to release the seizure (e. G., if the debt is repaid) before it can be transferred to the household。
4. Disagreements between heirs that require dispute resolution
If multiple heirs dispute their share of inheritance and property ownership and fail to reach agreement, the “one-stop” process cannot be followed, and a dispute must be resolved through consultation, mediation or litigation before they can obtain the court's entry into force, otherwise the registry will refuse to accept it。
5. Do not delay the transfer and do so within six months
From the time of the death of the heir, the transfer process is proposed to begin within six months: on the one hand, delays may lead to increased costs of the transfer as a result of a change in policy; on the other hand, if the heir has a debt dispute, the property may be seized and frozen, affecting the transfer; and, on the other hand, long-term households may cause the property to become untradeable, mortgages and subsequent disposal more difficult。
Discussion: have you ever had an inheritance? How much time and money did it take
The new regime of inheritance of property in 2026 made the transfer simple and cost-effective, but many may not yet be aware of these changes, and some may even be spending false office permits。
Have you ever had an inheritance? Did you follow the old or the new process? How much time and cost? In your city, do you need an office pass for your transfer? What questions do you have in relation to inheritance of an only child, succession of a non-direct family? Welcome to the comment section to share your experiences and views, and also to share them with those who need them, so that we can all enjoy the new rules and not turn around
