What your result means
The amount shown is the tax or fee due on closing, on top of the purchase price, legal fees and any adjustments. This calculator treats every purchase as a second property, so it does not apply first-time buyer rebates, which are not relevant once you already own a home. In Ontario, choosing Toronto adds a second, municipal tax calculated the same way as the provincial one, so a Toronto buyer effectively pays close to double the provincial-only amount up to $2,000,000 in price. In Quebec, choosing Montreal currently shows the same result as the provincial minimum brackets, because Montreal's own higher brackets above that minimum have not been independently re-confirmed for the current year in this tool's research; your real Montreal bill on a higher-value property will likely be higher than shown.
If the buyer is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, a note explains the federal restriction on non-Canadian purchases, which remains in force until 1 January 2027, subject to exemptions. Provincial foreign-buyer surtaxes, such as Ontario's Non-Resident Speculation Tax, are not added to the total because this tool has not independently re-confirmed their current rate and scope. British Columbia's 20% Additional Property Transfer Tax is added to the total automatically once you select one of the five specified regional districts (Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Capital, Central Okanagan, Nanaimo) and mark the buyer as a foreign buyer; leave the region unselected and only a note appears instead, since the tax does not apply outside those five districts.
In New Brunswick and PEI, the tax applies to the greater of the purchase price or the property's assessed value. If you enter an assessed value higher than the purchase price, the tax is calculated on that higher figure instead.
Worked example
Take a $650,000 lake house in Ontario, outside Toronto. The provincial bands work out to: 0.5% on the first $55,000 ($275), 1% on the next $195,000 up to $250,000 ($1,950), 1.5% on the next $150,000 up to $400,000 ($2,250), and 2% on the remaining $250,000 up to $650,000 ($5,000). Total: $275 + $1,950 + $2,250 + $5,000 = $9,475, an effective rate of about 1.46%. The same $650,000 purchase inside the City of Toronto adds the municipal tax calculated on identical bands, roughly doubling the bill to about $18,950 before any rebate, since a second property does not qualify for the first-time buyer credit either level offers.
How this is calculated
Ontario provincial Land Transfer Tax:
| Band | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 to $55,000 | 0.5% |
| $55,001 to $250,000 | 1.0% |
| $250,001 to $400,000 | 1.5% |
| $400,001 to $2,000,000 | 2.0% |
| Above $2,000,000 | 2.5% |
Toronto Municipal Land Transfer Tax uses the same bands as Ontario up to $2,000,000, then its own 2026-04-01 luxury tiers rising to 8.6% above $20,000,000, charged in addition to the provincial tax. Because Toronto's own band list is longer than Ontario's, the results table shows each authority's bands as its own set of rows rather than lining them up side by side band-for-band.
British Columbia's Additional Property Transfer Tax charges a further 20% of the buyer's proportionate share of the residential portion's fair market value, on top of the Property Transfer Tax above, when the buyer is a foreign national, foreign corporation or taxable trustee purchasing within the Capital, Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver, Central Okanagan or Nanaimo regional districts. This calculator assumes the buyer owns the full residential portion; a partial or corporate ownership share would change the amount owed.
British Columbia Property Transfer Tax:
| Band | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 to $200,000 | 1% |
| $200,001 to $2,000,000 | 2% |
| $2,000,001 to $3,000,000 | 3% |
| Above $3,000,000 (residential portion) | 5% |
Quebec welcome tax (droit de mutation), provincial minimum brackets used by most municipalities:
| Band | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 to $62,900 | 0.5% |
| $62,901 to $315,000 | 1.0% |
| Above $315,000 | 1.5% |
Manitoba uses a five-band Land Transfer Tax from 0% to 2%. New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island each charge a flat 1% of the greater of price or assessed value. Nova Scotia's Deed Transfer Tax is set per municipality, typically 1% to 1.5%, with Halifax at the 1.5% maximum. Newfoundland and Labrador charges a flat registration fee rather than a percentage tax. Alberta and Saskatchewan have no land transfer tax at all, only land title registration or transfer fees.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Finance, Land Transfer Tax; City of Toronto, Municipal Land Transfer Tax; Government of British Columbia, Property Transfer Tax; Government of Quebec, transfer duties (welcome tax); CMHC, Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act.
What this calculator does not cover
It does not compute Ontario's Non-Resident Speculation Tax, since its current rate and scope need direct re-confirmation before being encoded here; it only flags that it may apply. British Columbia's Additional Property Transfer Tax is added automatically once you select a specified region and a foreign buyer, but it assumes full residential ownership by that buyer and does not model a partial or corporate ownership share. It uses Quebec's province-wide minimum welcome tax brackets even when Montreal is selected, because Montreal's own higher brackets above that minimum, and their exact current cutoffs, are not independently verified for this tax year. It excludes legal fees, title insurance, mortgage registration fees where these are charged separately, and any first-time buyer rebate, since a second property does not typically qualify for one. For what it costs to keep the property after closing, see the cottage running costs calculator, and for what you can afford to pay in the first place, the cottage affordability calculator. Anyone buying their first cottage may also want OwnersLog's guide to buying a cottage.
Questions
Why does Toronto roughly double the Ontario tax?
Toronto is the only Canadian city that layers its own municipal land transfer tax on top of the provincial one, using very similar bands up to $2,000,000, so a Toronto purchase in that range is taxed close to twice as heavily as the same purchase elsewhere in Ontario.
Is the foreign buyer ban the same as a land transfer tax?
No. The federal Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act blocks most purchases by non-Canadians outright, subject to exemptions, rather than adding a tax. It is separate from provincial land transfer tax and from provincial foreign-buyer surtaxes like Ontario's Non-Resident Speculation Tax.
Does this calculator include Montreal's higher welcome tax brackets?
Not yet. Montreal is authorized to set brackets above the provincial minimum, but the exact current-year cutoffs and top rate were not independently confirmed in this tool's research, so selecting Montreal currently shows the same result as the provincial minimum, which likely understates the real bill on a higher-value property.
Why do Alberta and Saskatchewan show such a small number?
Neither province charges a percentage-based land transfer tax. Alberta charges a land title registration fee and Saskatchewan a land title transfer fee, both of which are far smaller than a typical ad valorem tax elsewhere in Canada.
Does this apply to a cottage bought through a family trust or corporation?
This calculator assumes a straightforward personal purchase. Purchases through a corporation or trust can trigger different rules in some provinces, including foreign-entity surtaxes, and are outside what this tool estimates.
When does British Columbia's 20% foreign buyer tax get added?
Only when you select British Columbia, mark the buyer as not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and choose one of the five specified regional districts: Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Capital, Central Okanagan or Nanaimo. Outside those five districts the tax does not apply, and the calculator shows a note instead of adding it.
Last reviewed 15 September 2026 against the provincial and municipal sources listed above. Next review April 2027, when several provinces and cities typically adjust rates.
This calculator gives a general estimate from the figures you enter. It is not financial, tax, legal or mortgage advice. Rules change and personal circumstances matter, so confirm with a qualified professional before you act. See the full disclaimer.