Property Transfer Tax in BC: Rates, Calculator and Every Exemption for 2026

How much is property transfer tax in BC?

BC’s land transfer tax is the provincial property transfer tax, charged under the Property Transfer Tax Act when a transfer is registered, whether you buy one of the homes for sale in Langley or a home in Chilliwack. It works in slices, like income tax brackets: on a $650,000 home you pay 1% of the first $200,000, which is $2,000, plus 2% of the other $450,000, which is $9,000, for $11,000 in total.

BC property transfer tax calculator

Enter the price, then say whether you are a qualifying first time buyer, whether the home is newly built and whether the buyer is a foreign national. It assumes one buyer holding 100% of a fully residential home of 0.5 hectares or less, bought at fair market value, with every eligibility and occupancy rule met.

Buying with someone who does not qualify? Only your share gets the exemption. On a new home or a presale, ask your lawyer or notary whether GST forms part of the value the tax is charged on.

What PTT costs on Langley, Surrey and Fraser Valley homes

On typical Fraser Valley homes the tax works out to about 1.6% to 1.9% of the price. The Langley and Surrey Central townhouse benchmarks both sit under $835,000, so at those prices a qualifying first time buyer saves the full $8,000 on Langley townhomes and condos or Surrey townhomes and condos.

The Langley, South Surrey and Fraser Valley detached benchmarks all sit above $1,150,000, so neither exemption applies there. A South Surrey detached home at the $1,606,500 benchmark carries $30,130 for every buyer.

Property transfer tax exemptions in BC

Your lawyer or notary claims an exemption on the return filed at registration. You can use the first time buyer program or the newly built home exemption on a purchase, not both, and on a qualifying new home at or under $1,150,000 the newly built exemption is always the larger saving.

The foreign buyer tax: 20% additional property transfer tax

A foreign national, foreign corporation or taxable trustee pays a further 20% of the fair market value of their share of a home in Metro Vancouver, which includes Surrey, White Rock and both Langleys, or in the Fraser Valley Regional District, which includes Abbotsford, Mission and Chilliwack. It is due with the regular tax at registration. On the $1,448,100 Langley detached benchmark that is $26,962 plus $289,620, or $316,582.

There is no spouse exemption, but the 20% applies only to the foreign buyer’s share: a $1,000,000 home bought 50/50 with a foreign national carries $18,000 plus 20% of $500,000, or $118,000. A confirmed BC Provincial Nominee buying a principal residence is exempt, once. Becoming a permanent resident or citizen within a year of registration, and living in the home as your principal residence for a full year, can qualify you for a refund. CMHC says the separate federal ban on non-Canadians buying residential property was extended to January 1, 2027. Owners who are not citizens or permanent residents should also read our speculation and vacancy tax guide.

When and how is property transfer tax paid?

The buyer pays, not the seller. The tax is due when the transfer is registered at the Land Title Office on your completion date, and the Land Title Office can refuse to register a transfer if the tax is not paid that day.

1. 1

   Your lawyer or notary files the return

   They file the Province’s web based return for you, even when you owe nothing, because the return is how an exemption is claimed.

2. 2

   You send the funds before completion

   Property transfer tax, legal fees and adjustments are paid in cash a few days before completion and held in trust.

3. 3

   The tax is paid on registration

   The registrar collects it for the Ministry of Finance when the transfer registers in your name.

4. 4

   Keep the occupancy rules

   If you claimed an exemption, move in within 92 days and stay until the first anniversary of registration.

Property transfer tax on presales and assignments

A presale is a strata unit you agree to buy before the developer deposits the strata plan. Nothing is paid at signing. The tax is due when the finished unit is registered in your name, generally on the total amount you paid, including upgrades and any assignment premium, so you know it in advance. The Province confirms that total is the value used for the first time buyer program.

If a presale’s total with upgrades lands near $1,100,000, ask your lawyer or notary how it will be measured against the newly built threshold. Compare presales in Surrey City Centre, and read our guide to GST on new homes in BC.

On an assignment before the strata plan is deposited, the buyer who completes pays tax on everything they paid, including the assignment premium. The original buyer never registers title, so pays no property transfer tax, but reports the profit for income tax and may owe the home flipping tax. After the plan is deposited, the regular fair market value rules apply.

Property transfer tax vs the BC home flipping tax

Property transfer tax is charged to the buyer when a home is registered. The BC home flipping tax is a different tax, charged to the seller on the profit, when a home or presale contract sold on or after January 1, 2025 was held for less than 730 days.

It is 20% of the net taxable income on a sale within 365 days, falling to zero at 730 days. Owners who owned and lived in the home for at least 365 days can deduct up to $20,000, and life events such as separation, death, disability and job relocation can exempt a sale. Before selling a Langley home you bought recently, check the dates, or see what your Surrey home is worth.

Closing costs checklist for BC buyers

CMHC tells buyers to plan for closing costs such as legal and land transfer fees of 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price, and they come on top of your down payment. Budget them before you search homes for sale in Surrey. Your annual property tax is a separate bill, covered in our Surrey property tax guide.

• Property transfer tax, less any exemption you qualify for.
• The further 20% if a buyer on title is a foreign national.
• Legal or notary fees and the completion day adjustments.
• GST on a newly built home or a presale.
• Funds in your lawyer’s or notary’s trust account a few days before completion.
• On an insured mortgage, ask your lender about the default insurance premium, the main cost usually added to the loan.

Frequently asked questions