Land transfer tax, the closing cost people forget.
One of the biggest cheques you write on closing day, anywhere in Ontario — and in Toronto you pay it twice. Pick your municipality and price to see the tax and any first-time-buyer rebate.
Toronto is the only Ontario municipality with its own land transfer tax — everywhere else in Ontario pays the provincial LTT only. First-time-buyer rebates apply where eligible.
Land transfer tax is one of several closing costs.
Legal fees, title insurance, appraisal and adjustments add up too. A licensed mortgage professional will map your full cash-to-close before you firm up an offer.
- Maps your full cash-to-close
- Flags the rebates you qualify for
Illustrative estimate using published provincial and Toronto municipal land-transfer-tax brackets and standard first-time-buyer rebate limits. Rebate eligibility, high-value tiers and non-resident/speculation taxes are not modelled. Confirm the exact amount with your real-estate lawyer or notary before closing. Not an offer of credit.
How land transfer tax works in Ontario
Every property purchase in Ontario pays a provincial land transfer tax, charged on a sliding scale — 0.5% on the first $55,000, stepping up to 2.5% on the value above $2 million. It works the same way in every Ontario municipality, from Ottawa to Windsor.
Toronto is the exception. It’s the only Ontario municipality that adds its own municipal land transfer tax on top, on a similar scale — so a Toronto buyer effectively pays the tax twice. Buy anywhere else in the province and you pay the provincial tax only.
First-time buyers can claim a rebate of up to $4,000 off the provincial tax, and Toronto first-time buyers up to a further $4,475 off the municipal tax, where they qualify.
Land transfer tax is due in cash on closing — it can’t be rolled into your mortgage — so budget for it alongside legal fees, title insurance and adjustments.
Figures here are the published statutory rates and standard rebate limits, shown for illustration. Non-resident (speculation) taxes and high-value tiers aren’t modelled. Confirm your exact amount with your real-estate lawyer before closing.