Toronto Land Transfer Tax Costs Are Going Up On March 1st Photo
If you haven't already heard, the City of Toronto Council has approved changes to the Toronto Land Transfer Tax which will result in additional costs for some home buyers with a closing date on or after March 1, 2017 (which is when the tax will be harmonized with the provincial LTT).
Click here to see the detailed City of Toronto Notice on the "original" proposed changes posted in December 2016 (NOTE: changes made to original proposals as per below).
Status
The following changes to the Toronto Land Transfer Tax were considered and approved by Toronto City Council on February 15, 2017. The changes are effective AS OF MARCH 1, 2017, for real estate transactions closing on or after this date:
Added an additional LTT of 0.5% of the value of a residential or non-residential property from $250,000 to $400,000 (an additional $750)
Added an additional LTT of 0.5% of the value of a residential property above $2 million
Added an additional LTT of 0.5% of the value above $400,000 of a non-residential property
Increasing the maximum allowed First-Time Home Buyer Rebate to $4,475, up from $3,725
Amended the first-time home buyer rebate program eligibility rules to restrict rebate eligibility to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
TREB Efforts Achieved Significant Concessions – First-Time Buyers Protected
TREB (Toronto Real Estate Board) undertook a comprehensive campaign to oppose the proposed changes. As a result of these efforts, significant concessions were made to the proposals that went forward for City Council's consideration as follows:
Under the original proposal, first-time buyers would have been forced to pay an additional $475 in Toronto LTT. However, TREB pushed for an increase in the rebate from $3,725 to $4,475, meaning first-time buyers will not face an increase.
Many first-time buyers would have lost eligibility for the first-time buyer rebate entirely, meaning a total LTT increase of $4,475. TREB pushed back and all first-time buyers will be eligible for a rebate.
As a result of TREB's efforts, first-time home buyers will NOT see any change.
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.