When you buy land or an interest in land in Ontario, you pay land transfer tax. First-time homebuyers of an eligible home may be eligible for a refund of all or part of the tax.

Beginning January 1, 2017, no land transfer tax would be payable by qualifying first‑time purchasers on the first $368,000 of the value of the consideration for eligible homes. First‑time purchasers of homes greater than $368,000 would receive a maximum refund of $4,000. Our real estate lawyers will help faciltate the rebate.

Canada First-Time Home Buyers' (FTHB) Tax Credit

The costs associated with purchasing a home, such as legal fees, disbursements and land transfer taxes, can be a particular burden for first-time homebuyers who must pay these costs, as well as save money for a down payment. To assist first-time homebuyers with the costs associated with the purchase of a home, the Government of Canada introduced a FTHB Tax Credit in 2009 — a $5,000 non-refundable income tax credit amount on a qualifying home acquired after January 27, 2009. For an eligible individual, the credit will provide up to $750 in federal tax relief starting in 2009.

First Time Home Buyer "FTHB" PROGRAM FALL 2019

With this incentive, Government of Canada provides:

• 5% or 10% for a first-time buyer’s purchase of a newly constructed home
• 5% for a first-time buyer’s purchase of a resale (existing) home
• 5% for a first-time buyer’s purchase of a new or resale mobile/manufactured home

The incentive is available to first-time homebuyers with qualified annual incomes of $120,000 or less. A participant’s insured mortgage and the incentive amount cannot be greater than four times the participant’s qualified annual income.  The Government of Canada will be co-owners of the property to the percentage of the incentive.

Here’s an example...... Anita wants to buy a new home for $400,000.  Under the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive, Anita can apply to receive $40,000 in a shared equity mortgage (10% of the cost of a new home) from the Government of Canada. This lowers the amount she needs to borrow and reduces her monthly expenses.  As a result, Anita’s mortgage is $228 less a month or $2,736 a year.

Canada RRSP Expansion of the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP)

To provide first-time homebuyers with greater access to their RRSP savings to purchase or build a home, the Government of Canada has increased the Home Buyers’ Plan withdrawal limit to $35,000 or $70,000 per couple (fall 2019).  It is important to remember that if you are topping up your contributions this year to plan for this program, the money must be in your RRSP account AT LEAST 90 days before it can be withdrawn.  The money is repayable over 15 years back to your own RRSP.