Does Alberta Have a Land Transfer Tax? (And What You Pay Instead)

by Jay Patel

No — Alberta does not have a land transfer tax. Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only two provinces in Canada without one. Instead of a tax calculated as a percentage of your purchase price, Alberta buyers pay Land Titles registration fees — a much smaller, flat-fee-style charge. On a typical $500,000 purchase with a $400,000 mortgage, the total is roughly $1,000.

Verified news snapshot

Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only provinces with no land transfer tax.
Instead, Alberta buyers pay Land Titles Office registration fees: $50 plus $5 for every $5,000 of the property's value for the transfer, and $50 plus $5 for every $5,000 of mortgage principal for the mortgage registration (fee schedule updated October 20, 2024 — roughly doubled from the old $2/$1.50 rates).
Worked example: a $500,000 purchase costs $50 + (100 × $5) = $550 to register the transfer; a $400,000 mortgage costs $50 + (80 × $5) = $450 to register. Total: about $1,000.
Comparison: the same $500,000 purchase in Ontario triggers about $6,475 in provincial land transfer tax — and in Toronto, about $12,950 combined provincial and municipal tax.
There is no first-time-buyer rebate in Alberta — because there is no tax to rebate.

What do Alberta buyers pay instead of land transfer tax?

When you buy a home in Alberta, your lawyer registers two things at the Land Titles Office: the transfer of ownership to you, and your mortgage. Each registration carries a fee of $50 plus $5 for every $5,000 (or part thereof) of the value involved. These fees go up in steps as the price rises, but they stay in the hundreds — not the thousands. Your lawyer collects them as part of your closing costs and handles the registration for you.

How are Land Titles fees calculated?

Take the transfer fee first. Divide the purchase price into $5,000 chunks: a $500,000 home is 100 chunks. At $5 per chunk plus the $50 base, that is $550. Now the mortgage: a $400,000 mortgage is 80 chunks, so $50 plus $400 equals $450. Add them together and you get roughly $1,000. On a $750,000 purchase with a $600,000 mortgage, the math works out to about $1,450. The key point: the fee grows slowly with price, unlike a percentage-based tax.

How does Alberta compare to Ontario and BC?

This is where Alberta buyers save real money. Ontario charges land transfer tax on a sliding scale — on a $500,000 home it comes to about $6,475, and Toronto adds a second municipal tax that doubles it to roughly $12,950. BC charges property transfer tax at 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% after that (about $8,000 on a $500,000 home). In Alberta, that same buyer pays about $1,000 in registration fees. For buyers moving from Ontario or BC, this is one of the most pleasant surprises of the Alberta market.

Do first-time buyers get a break?

Ontario and BC offer first-time-buyer rebates and exemptions on their land transfer taxes. Alberta has no equivalent program — but it does not need one, because there is no tax to reduce. Alberta's first-time buyers still benefit from federal programs like the First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and the Home Buyers' Plan, which help with the down payment instead.

Frequently asked questions

Does Alberta have a land transfer tax?
No. Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only provinces without one. Alberta buyers pay Land Titles registration fees instead — roughly $1,000 on a typical $500,000 purchase with a mortgage.

How much are Land Titles fees in Alberta?
$50 plus $5 per $5,000 of property value for the transfer registration, and $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of mortgage principal for the mortgage registration.

How does Alberta compare to Ontario?
A $500,000 purchase costs about $1,000 in Alberta registration fees versus about $6,475 in Ontario provincial land transfer tax — or about $12,950 in Toronto with the municipal tax added.

Is there a first-time home buyer rebate in Alberta?
No provincial rebate exists, because there is no land transfer tax to rebate. Federal programs like the FHSA and Home Buyers' Plan still apply.

When did Alberta's Land Titles fees change?
The fee schedule was updated on October 20, 2024, roughly doubling the per-$5,000 rates from $2/$1.50 to $5.

Wondering what you’ll actually pay on closing?

I’ll run your full closing-cost numbers for any price — free, no pressure. Call or text Jay Patel at +1 (825) 889-5383, visit jaypatelhomes.com, or DM me on Instagram @jaypatel.albertarealtor. First conversation is free — no pressure, just real numbers.

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Jay Patel

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+1(825) 889-5383