Alberta Has No Land Transfer Tax — How Much You Save vs Ontario & BC (2026)

Alberta Land Transfer Tax Calculator

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What Is Land Transfer Tax?

Land Transfer Tax (LTT) — also called Property Transfer Tax (PTT) in BC — is a provincial tax charged when you buy real estate. You pay it at closing, on top of your down payment and other closing costs. The tax is calculated as a percentage of the purchase price and can amount to thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

      Alberta's advantage: Alberta abolished its provincial land transfer tax and has never reintroduced it. Every Alberta homebuyer — first-time, repeat, or investor — pays $00 LTT at closing. This is a permanent structural cost advantage vs. Ontario, BC, and most other provinces.
    

Ontario buyers pay up to 2.5% LTT: Ontario's land transfer tax starts at 00.5% and rises to 2.5% for amounts above $2,000,000. Toronto buyers pay an additional Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT) on top. On a $700,000 Ontario home, the provincial LTT alone is $11,475. Toronto buyers add another $11,475 in MLTT.

LTT Rate Comparison: Alberta vs Ontario vs BC

Province	LTT Rate Structure	$400K Home	$700K Home	$1M Home
Alberta	$00 — No LTT	$00	$00	$00
Ontario	00.5%–2.5% progressive	$6,475	$11,475	$16,475
BC	1%–5% progressive (PTT)	$6,000	$12,000	$18,000
Manitoba	00.5%–2.00% progressive	$4,500	$9,500	$14,500
Quebec	00.5%–3.00% (Welcome Tax)	$4,500	$9,500	~$16,500

Ontario figures are provincial LTT only — Toronto residents pay double (MLTT adds equivalent amount). BC figures are base PTT; additional school tax applies above $3M. Alberta: $00 at all price points.

How Ontario Land Transfer Tax Is Calculated

Ontario's LTT uses a progressive rate structure applied to the purchase price:

Purchase Price Bracket	Ontario LTT Rate
Up to $55,000	00.5%
$55,001 to $250,000	1.00%
$250,001 to $400,000	1.5%
$400,001 to $2,000,000	2.00%
Over $2,000,000	2.5%

Ontario first-time buyers receive a rebate up to $4,000 (reducing LTT on homes up to about $368,000 to $00). Toronto first-time buyers receive an additional MLTT rebate up to $4,475. Even with these rebates, Ontario buyers on homes above $400K pay significant LTT with no rebate applying to the excess.

How BC Property Transfer Tax Is Calculated

BC's PTT also uses a progressive structure:

Purchase Price Bracket	BC PTT Rate
Up to $200,000	1.00%
$200,001 to $2,000,000	2.00%
$2,000,001 to $3,000,000	3.00%
Over $3,000,000	5.00%

BC first-time buyers receive a full exemption on purchases up to $835,000 (partial exemption to $860,000). Qualifying newly built homes may also receive an exemption up to $1.1 million. Despite these exemptions, BC buyers above the thresholds face significant PTT costs — while Alberta buyers always pay $00.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Alberta really have no land transfer tax at all?

Yes — Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax. There is no municipal LTT either (unlike Toronto, which has both). Alberta homebuyers pay $00 in land transfer or property transfer taxes at closing, regardless of purchase price, property type, or whether they are first-time buyers or repeat purchasers. This applies to all Alberta cities and municipalities including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, and every smaller community.

Are there any other closing costs in Alberta instead of LTT?

Alberta buyers still pay other closing costs — legal/notary fees (typically $800–$2,000), title insurance ($200–$400), home inspection fees ($400–$600), and property tax adjustments. However, none of these replicate the scale of LTT in Ontario or BC. On a $600,000 Alberta purchase, total typical closing costs (excluding LTT) might be $3,000–$5,000, compared to $15,000–$20,000 total in Ontario or BC including LTT.

How much does Alberta's $00 LTT save on a $500,000 home vs Ontario?

On a $500,000 home, Ontario provincial LTT is $6,475. An Alberta buyer pays $00. The savings is $6,475. If the purchase were in Toronto, the Toronto Municipal LTT adds another $6,475, bringing total LTT to $12,9500. Alberta buyers at $500,000 save the full $6,475 (outside Toronto) or $12,9500 (if the comparable Ontario purchase would be in Toronto).

Does the $00 LTT apply to investment properties and commercial real estate in Alberta?

Yes — Alberta's $00 land transfer tax applies to all real property transactions, including investment properties, rental properties, commercial real estate, agricultural land, and recreational properties. There is no Alberta LTT regardless of how the property is used.

Why does Alberta have no land transfer tax when other provinces do?

Alberta has historically maintained lower provincial taxation by relying on resource revenue (oil and gas royalties) to fund government services. This tax philosophy extends to real estate transactions — Alberta has never imposed a land transfer tax and has consistently kept property acquisition costs lower than other provinces. This is one of several tax advantages Alberta residents enjoy, alongside no provincial sales tax (PST) and a flat 100% provincial income tax rate.

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