How much will I pay?
- Toronto $8,475 less
- Other buyers: $20,950 First-time buyers: $12,475
- British Columbia $8,000 less
- Other buyers: $12,000 First-time buyers: $4,000
- Manitoba No change
- Other buyers: $11,650 First-time buyers: $11,650
- Nova Scotia No change
- Other buyers: $10,500 First-time buyers: $10,500
- Ontario $4,000 less
- Other buyers: $10,475 First-time buyers: $6,475
- Montreal No change
- Other buyers: $9,349 First-time buyers: $9,349
- Quebec No change
- Other buyers: $8,611 First-time buyers: $8,611
- New Brunswick No change
- Other buyers: $7,000 First-time buyers: $7,000
- Prince Edward Island $7,000 less
- Other buyers: $7,000 First-time buyers: $0
- Newfoundland and Labrador No change
- Other buyers: $2,898 First-time buyers: $2,898
- Saskatchewan No change
- Other buyers: $2,800 First-time buyers: $2,800
- Yukon No change
- Other buyers: $1,060 First-time buyers: $1,060
- Northwest Territories No change
- Other buyers: $1,050 First-time buyers: $1,050
- Nunavut No change
- Other buyers: $1,050 First-time buyers: $1,050
- Alberta No change
- Other buyers: $750 First-time buyers: $750
First-time buyers pay nothing at this price in Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia uses Halifax's 1.5% deed transfer tax; other municipalities can charge less. Ontario figures are outside Toronto.
Most provinces charge a percentage that rises with the price, band by band, like income tax:
- Ontario: 0.5% to 2.5%. Toronto charges its own municipal land transfer tax on top, at the same rates up to $2 million and higher above $3 million.
- British Columbia: 1% on the first $200,000, 2% up to $2 million, 3% above that, and a further 2% on a home’s value over $3 million.
- Quebec: the “welcome tax” is 0.5% on the first $62,900, 1% up to $315,000 and 1.5% above, in 2026. Montreal charges more on homes over $552,300, up to 4%. The bill comes from your municipality a few months after you buy.
- Manitoba: nothing on the first $30,000, then 0.5% to 2%.
- New Brunswick and PEI: 1% of the price or the assessed value, whichever is higher.
- Nova Scotia: each municipality sets its own deed transfer tax, up to 1.5%. Halifax charges 1.5%.
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and the territories have no land transfer tax. You pay a fee to register the home in your name instead, usually a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
First-time buyers
| Where | What first-time buyers get |
|---|---|
| Ontario | A refund of up to $4,000: no tax on a home up to about $368,000 |
| Toronto | A refund of up to $4,475 of the city tax: none on a home up to $400,000 |
| British Columbia | No tax on the first $500,000 of a home worth up to $835,000, less up to $860,000 |
| PEI | No tax at any price, on a home you’ll live in |
So a first-time buyer of a $700,000 home in Toronto saves $8,475, and in British Columbia saves $8,000.
Each province has its own rules on who counts as a first-time buyer. Usually you can’t have owned a home before, and you must live in the one you buy. Your lawyer or notary claims the relief when you close.
New homes
In British Columbia, newly built homes are exempt up to $1.1 million, with a smaller exemption up to $1.15 million. You may also get a GST/HST rebate on a new home, which is separate from land transfer tax.
Buyers from outside Canada
Ontario charges a Non-Resident Speculation Tax of 25% on homes bought by foreign buyers, and British Columbia charges an additional 20% in some areas. These come on top of the normal tax.
Budget for it
Land transfer tax has to be paid in cash on closing day, along with legal fees and other closing costs. Your lender won’t add it to your mortgage, so it comes out of your savings, on top of your down payment.
See your own numbers
The land transfer tax calculator works out the tax for any price and province, with Toronto and Montreal and first-time buyer relief. The affordability calculator shows how much you can borrow.