BC Property Transfer Tax 2026

WOWA® Simply Know Your Options

British Columbia Flag

What is land transfer tax?

In B.C., the tax commonly known as land transfer tax in other provinces is called property transfer tax. It generally applies when you purchase or gain an interest in property that is registered at the Land Title Office, unless an exemption applies. The tax is normally paid when the transfer is registered, usually through the buyer's lawyer or notary. Use the calculator below to estimate the tax for a standard property purchase.

BC Property Transfer Tax Calculator

Inputs

Market Price

Property transfer tax is calculated using the property's fair market value on the date it is registered at the Land Title Office. In an arm's-length purchase, this is the purchase price.

I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Property is residential

I am a first-time home buyer

I am buying a newly constructed home

I am buying the property with another (or others)

Calculate

Comparison of BC Land Transfer Taxes with Other Provinces

History of the Property Transfer Tax

Originally called the Property Purchase Tax, the PPT was first introduced in 1987 as a wealth tax to discourage speculation, and applied 1% on the first $200,000 of fair market value and 2% on the remainder. In 1994, the government introduced the First-Time Home Buyers’ Program and continued to modify it throughout the years. The Newly Built Home Exemption was introduced in 2016. The additional property transfer tax for foreign buyers was introduced at 15% in Metro Vancouver effective August 2, 2016, and increased to 20% effective February 21, 2018, when it was also expanded to the Capital, Fraser Valley, Central Okanagan and Nanaimo regional districts. Effective February 17, 2016, B.C. added a 3% rate on the portion of fair market value over $2,000,000. Effective February 21, 2018, B.C. introduced a further 2% property transfer tax on the residential property value over $3,000,000, bringing the marginal tax rate on that portion to 5%.

Use our simple BC income tax calculator

BC Property Transfer Tax

In B.C., property transfer tax generally applies when you purchase or gain an interest in property that is registered at the Land Title Office, unless an exemption applies. The tax is valued at:

BC Property Transfer Tax Rates

BC Property Transfer Tax Exemption for First-Time Home Buyers

Foreign Buyers

If the buyer is a foreign national, foreign corporation or taxable trustee, the additional property transfer tax is 20% of their proportionate share of the fair market value of the residential portion of a property located in a specified B.C. area. The specified areas are the Capital Regional District, the Fraser Valley Regional District, the Metro Vancouver Regional District, the Regional District of Central Okanagan and the Regional District of Nanaimo. The previous 15% rate applied in Metro Vancouver only, from August 2, 2016 through February 20, 2018.

However, a foreign national may qualify for the exemption if they are a confirmed B.C. Provincial Nominee when the transfer is registered, the property will be used as their principal residence, and the transfer is made to an individual. A work permit alone does not necessarily qualify the buyer for the exemption.

First Time Home Buyers’ Program

The First Time Home Buyers’ Program reduces or eliminates the property transfer tax paid on a first home. For registrations on or after April 1, 2024, the exemption is capped at the tax on the first $500,000 of fair market value, which works out to a maximum of $8,000. A home valued at $500,000 or less pays no property transfer tax at all. The qualifications for the individual at the time of registration, as well as for the property, are as follows.

The buyer must:

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• have lived in B.C. for 12 consecutive months immediately before the date you register the property, or have filed at least 2 income tax returns as a B.C. resident in the last 6 years
• have never owned an interest in a principal residence anywhere in the world at any time
• have never received a first time home buyers' exemption or refund

For the maximum exemption, the property must:

• be located in B.C.
• only be used as your principal residence
• be 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres) or smaller
• have a fair market value of:
  • $475,000 or less if registered on or before February 21, 2017
  • $500,000 or less if registered on or after February 22, 2017 and before April 1, 2024
  • $835,000 or less if registered on or after April 1, 2024, in which case the exemption covers the tax on the first $500,000 only

A partial exemption applies if the property meets one or more of the following:

• has a fair market value in the phase-out range, where the exemption is proportionally reduced:
  • more than $475,000 and less than $500,000 if registered on or before February 21, 2017
  • more than $500,000 and less than $525,000 if registered on or after February 22, 2017 and before April 1, 2024
  • more than $835,000 and less than $860,000 if registered on or after April 1, 2024
• is larger than 0.5 hectares
• has another building on the property other than the principal residence

To keep the exemption, you must move into the home within 92 days of registration and occupy it as your principal residence for at least the remainder of the first year.

Vacant Land Exemption

Under the First Time Home Buyers' Program, if you register a vacant lot and build a home affixed to the property, you can keep the exemption if the property's fair market value at registration plus the cost to build the home is $835,000 or less for the maximum exemption. A partial exemption may apply when the value is more than $835,000 but less than $860,000, for registrations on or after April 1, 2024. For registrations before April 1, 2024 but after February 21, 2017, the corresponding limits are $500,000 or less for the full exemption, and more than $500,000 but less than $525,000 for a partial exemption. You must build and move into the home by the first anniversary of registration and continue to occupy it as your principal residence until at least that anniversary.

Newly Built Home Exemption

If you paid property transfer tax on a vacant lot and a qualifying newly built home has since been constructed on it, you may be eligible for a refund of the tax you paid under the Newly Built Home Exemption. The value thresholds for that exemption are $1,100,000 for a full exemption and up to $1,150,000 for a partial exemption, for registrations on or after April 1, 2024.

Other Exemptions

The Newly Built Homes Exemption qualifies for buyers of new homes and provides a full exemption for property priced up to $1,100,000 or a partial exemption if priced between $1,100,000 and $1,150,000 for properties registered on or after April 1, 2024. For properties which are registered before April 1, 2024, the exemption applies if the home is priced below $750,000 or a partial exemption if priced between $750,000 and $800,000. To keep the Newly Built Home Exemption, you must generally move into the home within 92 days of registration and continue to occupy it as your principal residence for the remainder of the first year.

Other PPT exemptions exist for principal residence transfers, recreational residence transfers, family farm transfers, and more. These include:

1. Purpose-built rental exemption: Qualifying new purpose-built rental buildings purchased between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 may qualify for an exemption from the further 2% property transfer tax on residential property value over $3,000,000. Qualifying purchases made between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2030 are fully exempt from the general property transfer tax. The building must have at least 4 separate apartments at the time of registration and be held as rental for at least 10 years. Effective retroactively from January 1, 2025, a building may still qualify if it was occupied by eligible tenants before the transfer, provided the tenancies are monthly or longer term and no tenancy was in place more than 24 months before the date of the transfer. The building must generally be new, non-stratified, located in B.C., and entirely used for rental purposes in its residential portion.
2. Family Exemptions, which include principal residence transfer between related individuals (child, grandchild, great-grandchild and their spouses, parent, grandparent and great-grandparent, your spouse and their child, parent and grandparent), recreational residence transfer between related individuals (child, grandchild, great-grandchild and their spouses, parent, grandparent and great-grandparent, your spouse and their child, parent and grandparent), transfers resulting from a marriage breakdown, and, separately, qualifying changes from joint tenancy to tenancy in common or from tenancy in common to joint tenancy, and family farm transfer.
3. Other exemptions mostly relate to transfers that do not represent a genuine exchange of money for a piece of real property, including correcting conveyancing errors, transfers to charity, transfers to the crown or local government bodies, and transfers where the contract for purchase and sale is already registered, and PTT is paid at that time.

Visit our Canada Land Transfer Tax page to find out more information about land transfer and other taxes accross Canada.