B.C. Property Transfer Tax Calculator 2026
B.C.’s property transfer tax, the first-time buyer and newly built home exemptions, and the cash you need at closing.
2026 rates · verified Oct 27, 2026
Land transfer tax
$8,000.00
Paid in cash at closing
| Property transfer tax | $8,000.00 |
|---|
Cash needed at closing
| Down payment | $100,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Taxes and fees above | $8,000.00 |
| Tax on mortgage insurance | $0.00 |
| Other closing costs | $0.00 |
| Total | $108,000.00 |
How the tax was worked out
| Part of the price | Rate | Tax |
|---|
No bracketed tax here: see the lines above.
Your inputs
Calculated in your browser. Your numbers never leave your device.
How B.C.’s property transfer tax works
The tax is on the fair market value when the transfer is registered, in bands:
| Part of the value | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $200,000 | 1% |
| $200,000 to $2,000,000 | 2% |
| Over $2,000,000 | 3% |
| Residential value over $3,000,000 | +2% |
First-time buyers and new homes
First-time home buyers’ exemption: no tax on the first $500,000 of value (up to $8,000 off) if the home is worth $835,000 or less. Between $835,000 and $860,000 the exemption shrinks in a straight line: $8,000 × ($860,000 − value) ÷ $25,000. From $860,000 there’s none.
Newly built home exemption: the whole tax up to $1,100,000, then tax × ($1,150,000 − value) ÷ $50,000 up to $1,150,000. If both apply, you get the larger one.
| Value | Tax | First-time | New build |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $8,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| $700,000 | $12,000.00 | $4,000.00 | $0.00 |
| $835,000 | $14,700.00 | $6,700.00 | $0.00 |
| $850,000 | $15,000.00 | $11,800.00 | $0.00 |
| $1,000,000 | $18,000.00 | $18,000.00 | $0.00 |
| $1,125,000 | $20,500.00 | $20,500.00 | $10,250.00 |
| $1,500,000 | $28,000.00 | $28,000.00 | $28,000.00 |
Worked example
- A $500,000 home: 1% of $200,000 + 2% of $300,000 = $8,000.00. A first-time buyer pays nothing.
A first-time buyer at $850,000, inside the phase-out, gets part of the exemption:
| Tax: 1% of $200,000 + 2% of $650,000 | $15,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Exemption: $8,000 (the tax on the first $500,000) × ($860,000 − $850,000) ÷ $25,000 | −$3,200.00 |
| Property transfer tax | $11,800.00 |
A newly built home at $1,125,000, halfway through the new home phase-out, gets half its tax back:
| Tax: 1% of $200,000 + 2% of $925,000 | $20,500.00 |
|---|---|
| Exemption: $20,500.00 × ($1,150,000 − $1,125,000) ÷ $50,000 | −$10,250.00 |
| Property transfer tax | $10,250.00 |
Each $1,000 closer to the end of a phase-out costs the first-time buyer $320.00 more tax, and the new-home buyer about $410.00, so a small difference in price can matter near the top of either range.
What this calculator assumes
- The value is the price you enter, and the whole property is residential, on one parcel.
- Exemptions assume every buyer qualifies and meets the move-in rules.
- Land Title Office registration fees aren’t included: add your lawyer’s or notary’s figure. Neither is B.C.’s additional property transfer tax on foreign entities buying in specified areas; see the province’s page if it applies to you.
Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for B.C.’s first-time home buyers’ exemption?
You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, have lived in B.C. for the year before registration (or filed two B.C. tax returns in the last six years), never have owned an interest in a principal residence anywhere in the world, and never have had the exemption or a refund before. The home must be your principal residence, on 0.5 hectares or less.
What does the newly built home exemption cover?
A newly built home with a fair market value up to $1,100,000 pays no property transfer tax; between that and $1,150,000 the exemption shrinks to nothing. You must move in within 92 days of registration and keep it as your principal residence for the rest of the first year.
What if only one of us is a first-time buyer?
The exemption is reduced to the share owned by the buyers who qualify. On an $835,000 home bought 50/50 where one of you qualifies, the exemption is half of $8,000: $4,000. This calculator assumes every buyer qualifies.
Is it based on the price or the assessed value?
On the fair market value of the property on the date the transfer is registered. For a normal sale on the open market, that’s usually the price you agreed to pay, which is what this calculator uses.
When is it paid, and can it go on the mortgage?
Your lawyer or notary pays it when the transfer is registered at the Land Title Office, using money you give them before closing. It can’t be added to the mortgage, so it’s cash on top of your down payment.
Rates for tax year 2026, verified · Page updated