The Property Transfer Tax is a tax payable to the Provincial Government by purchasers of real estate. The tax applies to all types of real estate, whether residential, commercial or industrial. However, there are exemptions available for first time home buyers and new constructions. To confirm if you are exempt, please refer to Property Transfer Tax Exemptions and discuss this option with your lawyer.

The amount of the Property Transfer Tax is 1% on the first $200,000.00 of the property’s fair market value and 2% on the remaining fair market value.

“Fair Market Value” is best described as the price that would be paid for a property on the open market (which is usually the actual purchase price paid for the property). If the transfer of property is taking place without the exchange of money, the fair market value must be the fair value of the property if same was sold on the open market. In some situations, the fair market value is determined by the recent Assessment received from the Assessment Office.

You are charged property transfer tax when you make changes to a property’s title, including:

• acquiring a registered interest in the property
• gaining an additional registered interest in the property
• becoming the registered holder of a lease, life estate, or right to purchase for the property. 

For full details regarding tax amounts and exemptions, please visit Understanding Taxes .

Property Transfer Tax should not be confused with Property Tax. The Property Transfer Tax is a one-time tax paid to the Provincial Government by purchasers of real estate. The Property Tax is the tax paid on an annual basis to the local City/Municipality.

The following information was taken from Property Transfer Tax - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)

Estimate your Property Transfer Tax here. 

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS’ PROGRAM

The First Time Home Buyers’ Program reduces or eliminates the amount of property transfer tax you pay when you purchase your first home. If you qualify for the program, you may be eligible for either a full or partial exemption from the tax.

If one or more of the purchasers don’t qualify, only the percentage of interest that the first time home buyer(s) have in the property is eligible.

For example, if you qualify and purchase a property with a fair market value of $400,000 with a person who doesn’t qualify you would still qualify. If you owned a 60% interest in the property, 60% of the tax amount would be eligible for the exemption.

DO I QUALIFY?

To qualify for a full exemption, at the time the property is registered you 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 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
  
• and the property must:
  
• be located in B.C.
  
• only be used as your principal residence
  
• have a fair market value of:
  
• $475,000 or less if registered on or before February 21, 2017, or
• $500,000 or less if registered on or after February 22, 2017
• be 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres) or smaller
  

You may qualify for a partial exemption from the tax if the property:

• has a fair market value less than:
  
• $500,000 if registered on or before February 21, 2017 , or
• $525,000 if registered on or after February 22, 2017
• is larger than 0.5 hectares
  
• has another building on the property other than the principal residence
  

Find out the amount of your exemption if you qualify.

Foreign entities and taxable trustees are not eligible for the exemption. If you are an individual who doesn’t qualify because you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, but you become one within 12 months of when the property is registered , you may apply for a refund of the property transfer tax. To apply for a property transfer tax refund in this case, call 250-387-0555.

Find out if you are eligible to claim a refund of any additional property transfer tax you may have paid.

APPLY

To apply for the First Time Home Buyers’ Program you need to complete the First Time Home Buyers’ Property Transfer Tax Return when you or your legal professional register the property transfer .

After you have applied you must meet additional requirements during the first year you own the property to keep the tax exemption.

PENALTY FOR FALSE DECLARATION

All applications are reviewed. You will be charged a penalty equal to double the tax if you falsely declare that:

• you have never owned an interest in a principal residence anywhere in the world at any time, or
  
• you have never received a first time home buyers’ exemption or refund
  

FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP

At the end of the first year you own the property you will receive a letter. The letter is to conditionally confirm that you meet the occupancy and property value requirements after you:

• purchased an existing home , or 
  
• purchased vacant land and built a home
  

EXISTING HOME

To keep the tax exemption you must have:

• moved into your home within 92 days of the date the property was registered
  
• continued to occupy the property as your principal residence for the remainder of the first year
  

You may keep part of the exemption if you moved out before the end of the first year.

If the owner passed away, or the property is transferred because of a separation agreement or a court order under the Family Law Ac t before the end of the first year, you still qualify to keep the tax exemption.

BUILT NEW HOME

If you registered a vacant lot and built your own home, to keep the tax exemption:

• the fair market value of the land when you registered the property plus the cost to build your home must be:
  
• $500,000 or less if registered on or before February 21, 2017, or
• $525,000 or less if registered on or after February 22, 2017
• you must have built and moved into your home within 1 year of the date the property was registered
  
• you must have continued to occupy the property as your principal residence for the remainder of the first year
  

You may keep part of the exemption if you moved out before the end of the first year.

Find out more here.

If the owner passed away, or the property is transferred because of a separation agreement or a court order under the Family Law Act before the end of the first year, you still qualify to keep the tax exemption.

Contact for further information:

Toll Free: 1-888-355-2700

Office: 250-387-0555

Email: PTTENQ@gov.bc.ca