Estimate the property transfer duties, known in Quebec as the welcome tax (taxe de bienvenue), that your municipality bills after you buy a property. For 2026 the standard rates are 0.5% on the first $62,900, 1% up to $315,000 and 1.5% above that, and Montréal adds higher brackets from $552,300. On a $450,000 home the duties are $4,860.50 in most municipalities, and a $700,000 home in Montréal costs $9,349. First-time buyers can get a large part back through Quebec’s new refundable tax credit: on a $450,000 first home, the whole $4,860.50.
Quebec Welcome Tax Calculator 2026
Property transfer duties, Montréal rates and the first-home tax credit · Updated October 13, 2026
- Effective rate
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- Highest rate applied
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- First-home refundable tax credit
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- Your cost after the credit
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| Portion of the tax base | Rate | Duty |
|---|
2026 thresholds, for transfers between January 1 and December 31, 2026. The tax credit is claimed on your 2026 Quebec tax return or by advance payment request.
2026 welcome tax rates
The duties are worked out in slices, like income tax. The bracket thresholds are indexed every year to Quebec inflation. These are the standard rates that apply in every municipality for 2026:
| Portion of the tax base | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $62,900 | 0.5% |
| $62,900 to $315,000 | 1% |
| Over $315,000 | 1.5% |
A municipality may adopt a bylaw with a higher rate, up to 3%, on any portion above $500,000. Montréal is allowed to go further and uses these brackets in 2026:
| Portion of the tax base | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $62,900 | 0.5% |
| $62,900 to $315,000 | 1% |
| $315,000 to $552,300 | 1.5% |
| $552,300 to $1,104,700 | 2% |
| $1,104,700 to $2,136,500 | 2.5% |
| $2,136,500 to $3,113,000 | 3.5% |
| Over $3,113,000 | 4% |
What the tax base is
The duties are calculated on the highest of three amounts: the price actually paid, the price written in the deed of sale, and the market value, which is the property’s value on the municipal assessment roll multiplied by the comparative factor for the year. For Montréal the 2026 comparative factor is 1.00, so the market value is simply the roll value. Montréal also notes that the price used excludes GST and QST, which matters when you buy a new home.
Examples
| Tax base | Most municipalities | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $2,685.50 | $2,685.50 |
| $450,000 | $4,860.50 | $4,860.50 |
| $700,000 | $8,610.50 | $9,349.00 |
| $1,000,000 | $13,110.50 | $15,349.00 |
| $1,500,000 | $20,610.50 | $27,325.50 |
Montréal example from the city: on $700,000 the duties are $314.50 on the first $62,900, $2,521 on the next $252,100, $3,559.50 on the next $237,300 and $2,954 on the last $147,700, for $9,349.
First-home refundable tax credit
Quebec introduced a refundable tax credit for access to homeownership for homes acquired after December 31, 2025. It gives back:
- 100% of the first $5,000 of transfer duties paid, plus
- 25% of the next $3,500, for a maximum of $5,875;
- minus 2.35% of the tax base above $750,000, so the credit is zero once the tax base reaches $1,000,000.
| Tax base | Duties (standard rates) | Credit | Net cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $2,185.50 | $2,185.50 | $0.00 |
| $450,000 | $4,860.50 | $4,860.50 | $0.00 |
| $550,000 | $6,360.50 | $5,340.13 | $1,020.37 |
| $700,000 | $8,610.50 | $5,875.00 | $2,735.50 |
| $800,000 | $10,110.50 | $4,700.00 | $5,410.50 |
| $1,000,000 | $13,110.50 | $0.00 | $13,110.50 |
It counts as a first home if, during the four previous calendar years and the current year up to the purchase, you did not own a home that you lived in, and your spouse did not own a home that you lived in during your marriage or union. You must also plan to make it your main residence within a year. It is also available to someone who has to buy a more accessible home because of a severe disability. You or your spouse must have paid the duties, and if several people qualify for the same home, the credit is shared. Claim it on your 2026 Quebec return, or ask Revenu Québec for an advance payment through My Account by December 1, 2026 if you expect more than $1,000. This credit is separate from Quebec’s existing non-refundable first-home tax credit.
When the bill arrives
- The municipality sends the bill after the sale is registered in the land register. Pay it before the 31st day after it is sent, or interest starts to run. Some cities allow instalments.
- Some transfers are exempt, such as between spouses, between parents and children or grandchildren, and when the tax base is under $5,000. The city may still charge a fixed fee of up to $200 for an exempt transfer.
- For 2027 the standard thresholds rise by 2.4173% to $64,400 and $322,600. Montréal sets its own 2027 brackets in its budget.
FAQ
Who pays the welcome tax in Quebec?
The buyer, as the new owner. The seller does not pay it. The bill comes from the municipality where the property is located, after the notary has registered the sale in the land register.
Is the welcome tax based on the price or the municipal assessment?
On whichever is higher: the price paid, the price in the deed, or the assessment multiplied by the comparative factor. When prices have risen since the last assessment roll, the price is usually the higher amount, so the duties are based on it.
How much is the welcome tax on a $500,000 house?
$5,610.50 at the standard rates, which also apply in Montréal at that price. A qualifying first-time buyer would get a $5,152.63 tax credit, leaving $457.87.
Does the first-home credit apply to a home bought in 2025?
No. It applies to homes acquired after December 31, 2025. A home is considered acquired on the first day your ownership is published in the land register and the home is ready to live in.
Related calculators
- Ontario Land Transfer Tax CalculatorThe Ontario equivalent with Toronto’s tax
- BC Property Transfer Tax CalculatorB.C. rates and exemptions
- Mortgage Affordability CalculatorHow much house you can afford
- FHSA CalculatorSave your down payment tax-free
Sources
- Gouvernement du Québec: Droits sur les mutations immobilières · 2026 standard rates and exemptions, in French
- Ville de Montréal: Comment sont calculés les droits sur les mutations immobilières · 2026 brackets and comparative factor, in French
- Gouvernement du Québec: Montants des tranches pour l’exercice 2027 · July 31, 2026, in French
- Finances Québec: Bulletin d’information 2026-2 · refundable tax credit for access to homeownership, in French
- Gouvernement du Québec: News release, April 17, 2026 · in French
- Revenu Québec: Introduction of a refundable tax credit for access to homeownership
- Revenu Québec: Apply for an advance payment (October 6, 2026)
Figures current as of October 13, 2026
Each formula is checked against a separate test sheet with at least three worked examples. Results are estimates based on the numbers you enter and the published rules; your actual figures may differ. This is general information, not financial or tax advice.
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