Montréal welcome tax (property transfer duties) in 2026

Property transfer duties are set by Quebec's Act respecting duties on transfers of immovables and collected by the City of Montréal. Article 2 lets any municipality set higher rates on the portion of the tax base above $500,000, capped at 3%, "sauf dans le cas de la Ville de Montréal". Montréal uses that power to go up to 4%.

The City's 2026 schedule, in force from January 1, 2026:

- up to $62,900: 0.5% - $62,900 to $315,000: 1% - $315,000 to $552,300: 1.5% - $552,300 to $1,104,700: 2% - $1,104,700 to $2,136,500: 2.5% - $2,136,500 to $3,113,000: 3.5% - from $3,113,000: 4%

Each rate applies only to the part of the base within its bracket.

Worked example (from the City): on a $700,000 base, $62,900 at 0.5% is $314.50, $252,100 at 1% is $2,521.00, $237,300 at 1.5% is $3,559.50 and $147,700 at 2% is $2,954.00, for $9,349.00. On the same schedule a $500,000 base pays $5,610.50, a $900,000 base pays $13,349.00 and a $1,500,000 base pays $27,325.50. See Quebec welcome tax for the provincial rules.

The buyer pays. Under article 4 of the Act the transferee must pay the duty to the municipality, and where there are several transferees, "ceux-ci sont solidairement tenus au paiement" (they are jointly liable).

The City bills the duty after the transfer is registered. Montréal states that the bill "est payable en un seul versement, dans les 30 jours suivant son envoi" (one instalment within 30 days of the billing date). Under article 11 of the Act, interest runs from the 31st day after the bill is sent, at the rate in force for arrears of municipal taxes.

Montréal applies the tax base set by the Act: the highest of the consideration paid for the property (generally the sale price, excluding GST and QST), the consideration stated in the deed, and the market value. The City notes that the duty "n'est donc pas nécessairement basé sur le prix de vente".

Market value is the value on the property assessment roll at the time of transfer multiplied by the City's comparative factor in force on the transfer date. Montréal's comparative factor is 1.00 for 2026. It was 1.08 for 2025, 1.10 for 2024 and 1.00 for 2023. With a 2026 factor of 1.00, the market-value test equals the roll value. See property tax in Montréal and assessment in Quebec.

Montréal no longer has its own first-buyer subsidy. The City's Programme d'appui à l'acquisition résidentielle stopped accepting new applications on July 7, 2026. The City says the provincial refundable credit for access to home ownership, introduced in April 2026, replaces the equivalent municipal help. Applications received before July 7, 2026 are still being processed.

Under the provincial credit, administered by Revenu Québec, a first-home buyer can recover 100% of the first $5,000 of duty paid plus 25% of the next $3,500, up to $5,875. The credit is reduced by 2.35% of the tax base above $750,000 and is $0 at $1 million or more. On a $500,000 Montréal home the duty is $5,610.50. On a $900,000 home the duty is $13,349.00 and the credit is $5,875 - $3,525 = $2,350. The credit is claimed on form TP-752.HA, and an advance payment for 2026 can be requested until December 1, 2026. Eligibility is determined by Revenu Québec.

Neither the Act nor the City's transfer-duty pages provide an exemption for newly built homes. The duty on a new home is calculated on the same tax base and brackets as on a resale property. The City states that the price used for the tax base excludes GST and QST.

Montréal does not charge an extra transfer duty on non-resident or foreign buyers. The City publishes one schedule for all buyers, and the Act sets no surcharge for non-residents. Federal rules on purchases by non-Canadians are covered on the non-resident taxes page.

The exemptions are set by the Act and apply in Montréal as elsewhere in Quebec. The City lists the main ones:

- transfers in the direct line, such as from a father to a son or a grandmother to a granddaughter; - transfers between spouses, married or de facto as defined in the Act; - a transfer from an individual to a corporation in which that individual owns at least 90% of the issued voting shares.

The notary must include a mention in the deed for the exemption to apply. Former de facto spouses must transfer within 12 months of separating. Since June 12, 2026, the Act also exempts a transfer to an individual who already owns an undivided share and is domiciled in the property, and a transfer by succession to an individual.

When an exemption applies, the City may charge a droit supplétif of up to $200. A loss of exemption, such as a change of control of a corporation, must be disclosed to the City within 90 days.

January 1, 2027: Quebec's default thresholds become $64,400 and $322,600 (from $62,900 and $315,000). As of October 28, 2026, montreal.ca showed only its 2025 and 2026 schedules.

July 7, 2026: the City's Programme d'appui à l'acquisition résidentielle closed to new applications, replaced by the provincial first-home credit.

June 12, 2026: S.Q. 2026, c. 18 added exemptions for transfers to a co-owner domiciled in the property and for transfers by succession to an individual.

January 1, 2026: the two lowest thresholds were indexed from $61,500 and $307,800 to $62,900 and $315,000. Montréal's upper thresholds ($552,300, $1,104,700, $2,136,500 and $3,113,000) are the same as in 2025. The comparative factor changed from 1.08 to 1.00.