Ontario Land Transfer Tax Calculator
When you a buy a house or condo in Ontario you are subject to land transfer tax on closing. Use Ratehub.ca’s calculator to determine your land transfer tax or view Ontario’s current rates below.
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Ontario land transfer tax: FAQ
Who pays land transfer tax in Ontario?
In Ontario, if you acquire a piece of land (including a house or condo) or a beneficial interest in a piece of land, you are required to pay land transfer taxes to the provincial government. There is an additional municipal land transfer tax levied by the City of Toronto.
Land transfer tax in Ontario, as elsewhere in Canada, is always paid by the buyer.
How do I avoid land transfer tax in Ontario?
There are a few exemptions in which case you would not have to pay land transfer taxes. These exemptions include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Certain transfers between spouses
- Certain transfers from an individual to their family business corporation
- Certain transfers of farmed land between family members
- Certain transfers of a life lease from a non-profit organization or a charity
When in doubt, you should always consult with an expert such as an accountant or tax specialist to determine whether or not you are required to pay land transfer taxes.
Source: Ontario Land Transfer Tax
Is there a land transfer tax rebate in Ontario?
There is a land transfer tax rebate in Ontario of up to $4,000 that is available to first-time home buyers. Eligible buyers will have their entire land transfer tax bill up to $4,000 refunded to them. If the land transfer tax bill is higher than $4,000, the buyer must make up the difference.
For detailed information on the Ontario land transfer rebate and how to apply for it, please see our guide below.
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Guide to Ontario land transfer tax
Jamie David, Sr. Director of Marketing and Mortgages
Land transfer tax rates in Ontario1
The Ontario land transfer tax (LTT) is a marginal tax, and each portion of your home’s value is taxed at a unique rate. These tax rates are as follows:
Purchase price of home | Marginal tax rate |
First $55,000 | 0.5% |
$55,000.01 to $250,000.00 | 1.0% |
$250,000.01 to $400,000.00 | 1.5% |
$400,000.01 to $2,000,000.00 | 2.0% |
Over $2,000,000 | 2.5% |
If you are purchasing a home in Toronto, a Toronto Land Transfer Tax will also apply (see below). Beyond the land transfer tax, you will also have to pay other closing costs in Ontario when purchasing a home. These closing costs could include fees for an Ontario real estate lawyer and other buyer's fees.
Example Ontario land transfer tax calculation2
Let’s assume that you are purchasing a house for $300,000:
Ontario land transfer tax calculation:
- $55,000 first marginal tax bracket
× 0.50% marginal tax rate
= $275 land transfer tax - ( $250,000 upper marginal tax bracket - $55,000 lower marginal tax bracket )
× 1.0% marginal tax rate
= $1,950 land transfer tax - ( $300,000 upper marginal tax bracket - $250,000 lower marginal tax bracket )
× 1.5% marginal tax rate
= $750 land transfer tax - $275 + $1,950 + $750
= $2,975 total Ontario land transfer tax
Ontario land transfer tax rebate3
For first-time home buyers, there is a maximum $4,000 tax rebate on the Ontario land transfer tax. Based on Ontario’s land transfer tax rates, this refund will cover the full tax for homes up to $368,000. For homes purchased for more than $368,000, buyers will receive the full $4,000 rebate and pay the remaining LTT balance.
The following table contains several example calculations of the Ontario land transfer tax rebate:
Purchase price of home | Land title transfer tax | First-time home buyer rebate | Net tax payable |
$100,000 | $725 | $725 | $0 |
$200,000 | $1,725 | $1,725 | $0 |
$227,500 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $0 |
$600,000 | $8,475 | $4,000 | $4,475 |
First-time home buyer eligibility in Ontario
- You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
- You must be 18 years or older.
- You must occupy the home within nine months of purchase.
- You cannot have owned a home or interest in a home anywhere in the world.
- Your spouse cannot have owned a home while being your spouse (but may be a previous home owner).
- If the home is newly constructed, it must be eligible for home warranty.
- Home buyers must apply for the refund within 18 months of purchase.
Application
Taxpayers can claim an immediate refund when registering the land transfer papers and paying their taxes. Tax rebate application forms are available online for home buyers registering electronically or on paper at government offices.
If the rebate is not claimed at the time of registration, the full tax is paid and a refund claim can be made to the Ministry of Finance within 18 months. Information required for the application include:
- A completed Ontario Land Transfer Tax Refund Affidavit for First Time Purchasers of Eligible Homes
- A copy of the registered land transfer deed
- A copy of the agreement of purchase and sale
- A copy of a document that provides proof of residence, such as a driver’s license, telephone/cable bills, etc.
Ontario non-resident speculation tax
If you are a non-resident of Ontario, you will also be charged a 15% speculation tax on all property purchases within the Greater Golden Horseshoe Region (GGH). The GGH includes the entire Greater Toronto Area, stretching to Peterborough and Northumberland in the east, Wellington and Branford in the west and extending to the Canadian-American border at Niagara in the south.
This tax was introduced in 2017 in an attempt to reduce speculative investing by foreign actors inflating the market.
Toronto land transfer tax
Property sales in the Greater Toronto Area are also subject to the City of Toronto's municipal land transfer tax in addition to the provincial land transfer tax.
As of January 1, 2024, an expanded MLTT threshold took effect in the City of Toronto, for homes valued at $3 million or more, and that have a maximum of two single-family residences. The new levy starts at 3.5% of the home’s value, and ranges up to 7.5% for homes valued at $20 million and above.
The following table outlines the current tax rates:
Purchase price of home | Marginal tax rate |
First $55,000 | 0.5% |
$55,000.01 to $250,000.00 | 1.0% |
$250,000.01 to $400,000.00 | 1.5% |
$400,000.01 to $2,000,000.00 | 2.0% |
Over $2,000,000 | 2.5% |
Over $3,000,000 and up to $4,000,000 | 3.5% |
Over $4,000,000 and up to $5,000,000 | 4.5% |
Over $5,000,000 and up to $10,000,000 | 5.5% |
Over $10,000,000 and up to $20,000,000 | 6.5% |
Over $20,000,000 | 7.5% |
We have a dedicated article on Toronto Land Transfer Tax with more information.
Also read: Land transfer rates to rise for some Toronto buyers in January