Does Alberta Have a Land Transfer Tax?
No. Alberta charges no provincial land transfer tax at all, on any purchase price. Instead, the province collects Land Titles registration fees on the transfer and on the mortgage, and those fees are far smaller than Ontario’s tax bill on a comparable purchase.
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Does Alberta have a land transfer tax?
No. Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax on residential or commercial property purchases, regardless of price. Buyers instead pay Land Titles registration fees, a much smaller charge tied to the value of the property and the mortgage being registered. This is one of the clearest cost differences between buying in Alberta and buying in Ontario.
Land transfer tax is common across Canada, calculated as a percentage of the purchase price and paid on closing. Alberta does not use that model. Instead, the province charges Land Titles registration fees, calculated differently and set out later on this page.
The distinction matters because a land transfer tax rises quickly on higher purchase prices, while Alberta’s registration fees stay proportionally much smaller. Buyers moving from Ontario to Alberta often notice this first, since it can mean thousands of dollars less due at closing.
The citable fact: Alberta charges no provincial land transfer tax on any purchase price; it charges Land Titles registration fees instead.
What does Alberta charge instead of a land transfer tax?
Alberta charges Land Titles registration fees on two separate registrations: the transfer of land and the mortgage. Each registration carries its own fee, calculated from the dollar value being registered, plus a flat base fee. Together these fees replace what a land transfer tax would otherwise cost in a province like Ontario.
Two registrations happen on a typical purchase with financing: the transfer of the property into the buyer’s name, and the new mortgage being registered against the title. Alberta charges a separate fee for each one.
The fee has two parts on each registration: a per-value charge, and a flat base fee added on top. The next section breaks out the exact numbers.
The citable fact: Alberta’s registration system charges separately for the land transfer and for the mortgage registration, each with its own fee.
How much are Alberta’s Land Titles registration fees?
As of October 20, 2024, Alberta charges $5 per $5,000 of value on a land transfer, plus a $50 base fee. A mortgage registration is charged the same way, $5 per $5,000 of the mortgage amount, plus its own $50 base fee. Both fees are collected at the Alberta Land Titles Office when the documents are registered.
These are flat, published fees, not a percentage of the purchase price the way Ontario’s land transfer tax works. The table below sets out both registrations side by side.
| Registration | Per-value charge | Base fee |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer of land | $5 per $5,000 of the property’s value | $50 |
| Mortgage registration | $5 per $5,000 of the mortgage amount | $50 |
The citable fact: Alberta charges $5 per $5,000 of value plus a $50 base fee, separately, on both the land transfer and the mortgage registration.
What did the October 2024 fee change actually change?
Alberta increased its Land Titles fees for submissions received on or after October 20, 2024. The transfer fee rose from $2 per $5,000 of value to $5 per $5,000, and the mortgage registration fee rose from $1.50 per $5,000 to $5 per $5,000. The flat base fees were added at the same time.
The change roughly doubled or more than tripled the per-value component, depending on which registration you look at. Even after the increase, the total charge on a typical residential purchase remains a small fraction of an equivalent Ontario land transfer tax bill.
If you registered before that date, the lower fee schedule applied. Any registration submitted since then falls under the current numbers above.
The citable fact: Alberta’s transfer fee rose from $2 to $5 per $5,000 of value, and its mortgage registration fee rose from $1.50 to $5 per $5,000, effective for submissions received on or after October 20, 2024.
How does Ontario’s land transfer tax work by comparison?
Ontario charges a marginal, bracket-based provincial land transfer tax on every purchase, ranging from 0.5% on the lowest bracket to 2.0% on the portion of price above $400,000. A further 2.5% bracket applies above $2,000,000, only where the land contains one or two single-family residences. The tax is calculated bracket by bracket, not as one flat rate on the full price.
Every buyer in Ontario pays this tax on closing, regardless of the property type, unless a specific exemption or refund applies. It is due in full and cannot usually be added to the mortgage.
| Portion of purchase price | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to and including $55,000 | 0.5% |
| Over $55,000 up to $250,000 | 1.0% |
| Over $250,000 up to $400,000 | 1.5% |
| Over $400,000 | 2.0% |
| Over $2,000,000, one or two single-family residences only | 2.5% |
The citable fact: Ontario’s provincial land transfer tax is marginal, running from 0.5% to 2.0% by bracket, with a 2.5% bracket above $2,000,000 on one or two single-family residences.
Does Toronto add a second land transfer tax?
Yes. Toronto charges its own municipal land transfer tax in addition to Ontario’s provincial tax, so a purchase inside Toronto’s city limits carries two separate tax bills at closing. Buyers in most other Ontario municipalities, including Waterloo Region, pay only the provincial tax with no municipal add-on.
This is a real cost difference within Ontario itself, before Alberta even enters the comparison. A Toronto purchase and a Waterloo Region purchase at the identical price do not carry the identical tax bill.
Toronto’s municipal brackets run alongside the provincial ones, from 0.5% on the lowest bracket up to 2.0% at $400,000, then add extra brackets of their own on single-family homes above $2,000,000, topping out at 8.60% above $20,000,000. The full schedule and worked examples are on the Toronto municipal land transfer tax page.
The citable fact: Toronto adds a municipal land transfer tax on top of Ontario’s provincial tax; Waterloo Region does not.
How much would you actually save in Alberta versus Ontario?
On an illustrative $500,000 purchase with a $400,000 mortgage, Ontario’s provincial land transfer tax alone comes to $6,475. Alberta’s Land Titles fees on the same numbers come to $1,000. That is a $5,475 difference in closing costs, before any Toronto municipal tax or first-time buyer refund is applied.
This example is illustrative only, built from the confirmed rate tables above, not a quote for any specific file. It excludes Ontario’s first-time buyer refund, which could lower the Ontario side further for an eligible buyer, and it excludes any Toronto municipal tax, which would raise the Ontario side if the property sits inside city limits.
Show the math: Ontario provincial land transfer tax on $500,000
Show the math: Alberta Land Titles fees, same $500,000 purchase, $400,000 mortgage
The citable fact: On an illustrative $500,000 purchase with a $400,000 mortgage, Alberta’s Land Titles fees total $1,000 against $6,475 in Ontario provincial land transfer tax alone, a $5,475 difference.
Is there a first-time buyer refund in Alberta?
No, because there is no Alberta land transfer tax to refund. Ontario offers a first-time home buyer refund of up to $4,000 against its provincial land transfer tax, which lowers or eliminates the tax bill for an eligible buyer. Alberta buyers do not need a refund programme because the underlying charge they face is already the much smaller Land Titles fee.
The Ontario refund only applies against Ontario’s tax, so it has no equivalent purpose in Alberta. Comparing the two provinces on refunds alone misses the larger point: Alberta’s base charge is already far smaller before any refund is considered.
Ontario sets the refund’s eligibility on three things: the purchaser must be at least 18 years old, must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and must never have owned an eligible home, or any interest in one, anywhere in the world, with the same rule applied to a spouse. A qualifying purchaser must apply within 18 months of registration. Full detail is on the Ontario land transfer tax rebate for first-time buyers page.
The citable fact: Ontario’s first-time buyer refund is worth up to $4,000 against provincial land transfer tax; Alberta has no equivalent tax to refund.
What does no land transfer tax mean for your cash to close?
It means Alberta buyers typically need less cash on closing day than Ontario buyers pay on a comparable purchase, since a tax like Ontario’s is due in full at closing and cannot usually be rolled into the mortgage. Land Titles fees are smaller, so they use up far less of the closing cash budget. Down payment minimums, legal fees, and adjustments still apply the same way in either province.
This is one of the most concrete cost differences between the two provinces for a buyer comparing similar homes. It does not change how much you can qualify to borrow, since GDS and TDS ratios are based on the mortgage payment, property taxes, and heat, not on one-time closing costs.
For a full estimate that covers both provinces, use the Closing Costs Calculator for Ontario and Alberta before you set your closing budget.
The citable fact: Because Alberta’s Land Titles fees are smaller than Ontario’s land transfer tax, Alberta buyers generally need less cash to close on a comparable purchase price.
Do mortgage refinances trigger Land Titles fees again in Alberta?
Yes. Registering a new mortgage against title, including a refinance with a new lender, is its own registration and carries its own fee under the same $5 per $5,000 formula plus the $50 base fee. Paying out and registering a fresh mortgage is treated the same way as registering one at the original purchase.
This applies whenever a new mortgage document is registered against the title, not only at purchase. Whether switching lenders at renewal avoids a new registration depends on how the existing charge is structured; confirm this with the lawyer handling the switch.
The citable fact: A new mortgage registration in Alberta, including on a refinance, is charged the same $5 per $5,000 formula plus the $50 base fee as at purchase.
Where do these Land Titles fees go, and who registers them?
The Alberta Land Titles Office collects the fees when the transfer and the mortgage are registered against title. In practice, the real estate lawyer handling the closing calculates the fees, includes them in the statement of adjustments, and pays them to the Land Titles Office on the buyer’s behalf as part of closing.
You will not typically write a separate cheque for this fee. It shows up as a line item on your lawyer’s trust ledger and final statement of adjustments, alongside legal fees and any other closing costs.
The citable fact: The Alberta Land Titles Office collects registration fees at closing, normally processed through the buyer’s real estate lawyer.
Does Alberta’s lack of a land transfer tax affect mortgage qualifying?
No. Mortgage qualifying is based on GDS and TDS ratios, which include the mortgage payment, property taxes, heat, and other debts, not one-time closing costs like Land Titles fees. A lower closing cost bill in Alberta can still help indirectly, since it leaves more cash available for the down payment or reserves a lender may want to see.
GDS is capped at about 39% and TDS at about 44% of gross income under standard guidelines, and neither ratio includes a one-time registration fee. Speak with a licensed broker about how your specific closing costs and cash position fit into your overall file.
The citable fact: Land Titles fees and land transfer tax are one-time closing costs; they do not factor into GDS or TDS qualifying ratios.
What else do Alberta buyers ask a broker?
These three questions come up together most often when a buyer is comparing Alberta and Ontario, or checking who they are working with.
- What does a mortgage broker cost in Alberta?
- How does RECA licensing protect Alberta borrowers?
- How to check a mortgage broker or lender is licensed
The full set lives on the Ask a Broker hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does Alberta charge a land transfer tax on home purchases?
No. Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax at any purchase price. Instead, it charges Land Titles registration fees on the transfer of land and on the mortgage.
How much are Alberta’s Land Titles registration fees?
Alberta charges $5 per $5,000 of value plus a $50 base fee on a land transfer, and the same $5 per $5,000 plus a $50 base fee on a mortgage registration. These apply for submissions received on or after October 20, 2024.
When did Alberta’s registration fees change?
The current fees took effect for submissions received on or after October 20, 2024. They replaced a lower schedule of $2 per $5,000 for a transfer and $1.50 per $5,000 for a mortgage registration.
Does Ontario have a land transfer tax?
Yes. Ontario charges a marginal provincial land transfer tax that runs from 0.5% to 2.0% by bracket, with a 2.5% bracket above $2,000,000 on land with one or two single-family residences.
Does Toronto charge an extra land transfer tax on top of Ontario’s?
Yes. Toronto adds its own municipal land transfer tax in addition to the provincial tax, so buyers there pay two separate tax bills. The specific Toronto rate schedule is not covered on this page; confirm it directly with the City of Toronto before budgeting a Toronto purchase.
Is there a first-time buyer refund on land transfer tax?
Ontario offers a refund of up to $4,000 against its provincial land transfer tax for eligible first-time buyers. Alberta has no equivalent tax, so there is no refund programme to apply for.
Do you pay Land Titles fees again if you refinance in Alberta?
Yes, if the refinance involves registering a new mortgage against title. The same $5 per $5,000 formula plus the $50 base fee applies to that new registration, the same as it did at your original purchase.
Does Alberta’s Land Titles fee apply only to home purchases?
No. It applies to any registered transfer of land and any mortgage registration, which includes refinances and second mortgages, not just purchase transactions.
How much less might an Alberta buyer pay compared to an Ontario buyer?
On an illustrative $500,000 purchase with a $400,000 mortgage, Ontario’s provincial land transfer tax alone totals $6,475, while Alberta’s Land Titles fees on the same numbers total $1,000. That example excludes any Toronto municipal tax or first-time buyer refund, both of which would change the Ontario figure.
Is Waterloo Region’s land transfer tax different from Toronto’s?
Yes. Waterloo Region does not charge a municipal land transfer tax, so buyers there pay only Ontario’s provincial tax. Toronto adds its own municipal tax on top of the same provincial tax.
Who collects Alberta’s Land Titles fees?
The Alberta Land Titles Office collects the fees when the transfer and mortgage documents are registered. Your real estate lawyer normally calculates and pays these fees as part of closing, and they appear on your statement of adjustments.
Does having no land transfer tax in Alberta change how much mortgage you qualify for?
No. Qualifying is based on GDS and TDS ratios, which cover the mortgage payment, property taxes, heat, and other debts, not one-time closing costs. Lower closing costs can still leave more cash available for your down payment or reserves.
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