Quebec Welcome Tax Calculator
The land transfer duties everyone in Quebec calls the welcome tax arrive by mail after you buy, not at the notary's table. This calculator shows what to set aside, including the City of Montréal's higher brackets on pricier homes. It runs on the same tax engine as the full Headroom calculator, using 2026 rates. Aussi disponible en français.
How the welcome tax works
The official name is droits de mutation immobilière, but nobody calls it that. The tax works in marginal brackets, the same way income tax does: each rate applies only to the part of the price inside its band, so the effective rate is always lower than the top rate.
| Portion of the price | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $62,900 | 0.5% |
| $62,900 to $315,000 | 1.0% |
| Over $315,000 | 1.5% |
The City of Montréal keeps the same base brackets, then adds higher ones on the part of the price above $552,300. Below that threshold, the Montréal bill is identical to the rest of Quebec.
| Portion of the price | Rate |
|---|---|
| $315,000 to $552,300 | 1.5% |
| $552,300 to $1,104,700 | 2.0% |
| $1,104,700 to $2,136,500 | 2.5% |
| $2,136,500 to $3,113,000 | 3.5% |
| Over $3,113,000 | 4.0% |
No provincial break for first-time buyers
Unlike Ontario or British Columbia, Quebec offers first-time buyers no provincial break on the welcome tax. Some municipal home-buyer assistance programs exist, notably in Montréal. Check with your municipality.
The bill comes in the mail, not at the notary's office
The welcome tax is not paid at signing. The municipality mails you the bill a few weeks, sometimes a few months, after the purchase, and most cities ask for payment in a single instalment within 30 days. Set the money aside so it does not catch you off guard. Outside Montréal, some municipalities also add their own higher brackets above $500,000, which this page does not model; check your municipality's bylaw.
A worked example
On a $700,000 property outside Montréal, the welcome tax is $8,611. The same property in the City of Montréal costs $9,349, because the Montréal brackets apply to the part of the price above $552,300.
At $500,000, the bill is the same everywhere in Quebec: $5,611, in Montréal and anywhere else, because Montréal's higher brackets only start above $552,300.
Common questions
Why is it called the welcome tax?
The official name is droits de mutation immobilière. The popular story is that the nickname comes from Jean Bienvenue, the minister associated with the 1970s law that created the tax. The wink at the word bienvenue, a tax that welcomes you to your new town, did the rest.
When do you pay the welcome tax?
After the purchase, not at the notary's office. The municipality mails you a bill a few weeks or months after signing, and most cities ask for payment in a single instalment within 30 days.
Is there a first-time buyer exemption?
Not provincially. Quebec offers first-time buyers no rebate, unlike Ontario or British Columbia. Some municipal programs offer a partial refund, notably in Montréal. Check with your municipality.
Does buying in Montréal cost more?
Only above $552,300. Below that price the Montréal brackets are identical to the base ones, so the bill matches the rest of Quebec. Above it, each additional bracket costs more in Montréal.
Planning the whole purchase, not just the tax?
Headroom folds the welcome tax into your full picture: the mortgage, CMHC insurance, the stress test, and the rest of your closing costs, for every province, free and with nothing leaving your browser.
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