First-Time Buyer Land Transfer Tax Rebates in Every Province

Ontario

Ontario refunds up to $4,000 of provincial land transfer tax to eligible first-time buyers, which fully offsets the tax on homes up to roughly $368,000 and phases into a partial rebate above that. See our full Ontario land transfer tax guide for the underlying brackets this rebate applies against.

Toronto's extra rebate

Toronto adds a separate municipal rebate of up to $4,475 on top of Ontario's provincial one, since the two are refunds against two different taxes and stack. See why Toronto buyers pay land transfer tax twice for the full mechanics of the tax these rebates offset.

British Columbia

BC's Property Transfer Tax offers a first-time buyer exemption that fully eliminates the tax up to a set purchase price threshold, with a partial exemption phasing out above it. The thresholds are adjusted periodically, so confirm the current cutoff before assuming full exemption on a specific price.

Prince Edward Island

PEI offers a first-time buyer exemption from its land transfer tax, with its own eligibility criteria and price ceiling, generally smaller in dollar terms than Ontario's or BC's programs given the province's lower average home prices.

Who generally qualifies

Across all these programs, the common thread is that you (and your spouse or common-law partner, if applicable) must not have owned a home anywhere in the world before, and the property typically needs to become your principal residence within a set window after closing, usually nine months. Some programs define "first-time" more broadly than people expect — not having owned in the last several years can sometimes still qualify, depending on the specific program, so it's always worth checking even if you've owned before.

See how a rebate changes your total closing costs on the closing cost calculator, which applies eligible rebates automatically.

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