Welcome tax · Gatineau · 2026 grid verified at the source
Since February 25, 2026, Gatineau bills 3% above $500,000, double the old rate. Here is the new grid, the old one, what it changes on $600,000 and $750,000, and what a first-time buyer gets back.
In Gatineau, the welcome tax changed on February 25, 2026: the grid now follows the provincial brackets up to $500,000 (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%) then applies 3% to the entire portion above, the maximum the law allows. Before that date, the rate stayed at 1.5% up to $750,000, then 2.5% up to $1,000,000 and 3% beyond. On a $600,000 house, the tax goes from $7,110.50 to $8,610.50 (+$1,500); on $750,000, from $9,360.50 to $13,110.50 (+$3,750). A first-time buyer gets up to $5,875 back from Revenu Québec. The base is the higher of the price paid and the roll value times the 1.02 comparative factor in 2026; the bill is paid within 30 days.
Gatineau's municipal council adopted in February 2026, by 13 votes to 7, a new grid that splits the old $315,000 to $750,000 bracket in two: 1.5% up to $500,000, then 3% on everything above, to fund social housing among other things. The City estimates the extra revenue at about $1.5 million a year. Below $500,000 nothing changes: a condo or an entry-level house pays the same tax as before. The date that counts is the transfer date: a sale signed before February 25, 2026 stays on the old grid.
| Bracket of the tax base (2026) | Rate in Gatineau |
|---|---|
| $0 to $62,900 | 0.5% |
| $62,900 to $315,000 | 1% |
| $315,000 to $500,000 | 1.5% |
| Above $500,000 | 3% |
The thresholds are indexed every January 1 (the indexation is published in the Gazette officielle before July 1); the amounts above are the 2026 figures. Source: gatineau.ca, tax base of transfer duties (grid as of February 25, 2026, factor 1.02).
The examples cover a $350,000 condo (no change), the $500,000 threshold, the $600,000 house the City cited, a $750,000 cottage in Aylmer or on the Plateau and a prestige property.
| Price paid (or adjusted roll value) | Welcome tax | First-time buyer credit | Net cost, first-time buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| $350,000 | $3,360.50 | $3,360.50 | $0 |
| $500,000 | $5,610.50 | $5,152.62 | $457.88 |
| $600,000 | $8,610.50 | $5,875 | $2,735.50 |
| $750,000 | $13,110.50 | $5,875 | $7,235.50 |
| $900,000 | $17,610.50 | $2,350 | $15,260.50 |
| $1,200,000 | $26,610.50 | $0 | $26,610.50 |
How to read it: on a house at $600,000 (the example the City used when it changed its grid), the welcome tax is $8,610.50; an eligible first-time buyer gets $5,875 back and pays $2,735.50 net. Gatineau's municipal increase accounts for $1,500 of that amount, compared with a municipality that applies the basic grid. Our French welcome tax calculator runs the same calculation for any price.
The tax base is the highest of three amounts: the price paid, the consideration stated in the deed, and the value on the assessment roll multiplied by the year's comparative factor. In a rising market the price paid almost always exceeds the adjusted roll value, so the price is the base; in a sale between relatives or on a property bought below assessment, the adjusted roll value takes over and the bill can surprise. For 2026, Gatineau's comparative factor is 1.02: a property assessed at $500,000 on the roll has a presumed market value of $510,000, and that figure becomes the base if the price paid is lower. The notary records the tax base in the deed of sale and the municipality bills from the registration in the Land Register.
In Gatineau, the transfer duty bill is payable within 30 days of billing. The City publishes on gatineau.ca both 2026 grids, the one from January 1 to February 24 and the one in force since February 25, as well as the comparative factors (0.98 for 2025, 1.02 for 2026). The bill is never handed over at the notary's office: it arrives by mail, or in the online tax account, generally a few weeks to two months after signing. Budget for it before the offer to purchase, alongside notary fees and the inspection, because no lender finances it inside the mortgage.
Since January 1, 2026, Quebec's refundable tax credit for home ownership reimburses first-time buyers 100% of the first $5,000 of transfer duties paid and 25% of the next $3,500, up to $5,875, on a first principal residence. The credit is reduced by 2.35% of the portion of the tax base above $750,000 and reaches zero at $1,000,000 (Finances Québec, Information Bulletin 2026-2). A first-time buyer is someone who did not live in a home owned by themselves or their spouse in the year of purchase or the four previous years. The buyer first pays Gatineau's bill, then claims the credit on their income tax return, or as an advance payment from October 2026 when the amount exceeds $1,000. On a $350,000 condo, the tax of $3,360.50 is refunded in full. On a $600,000 house, the tax of $8,610.50 is refunded at $5,875: $2,735.50 remains, against $1,582.87 with the old grid. The municipal increase is therefore not absorbed by the provincial credit above $500,000. The details, including couples where only one spouse has owned before, are in our guide to the welcome tax refund.
The exemptions come from provincial law and are the same in every city: a transfer in the direct ascending or descending line (parent to child, grandparent to grandchild, never between siblings), a transfer between spouses who are married, in a civil union or de facto after twelve months of living together (or parents of the same child), a tax base under $5,000, and a transfer to a corporation in which the seller holds at least 90% of the shares. The notary cites the exemption section in the deed. Gatineau then collects a supplementary duty of at most $200, except when the transfer follows a death. Our French article on welcome tax exemptions goes into detail.
Since February 25, Gatineau applies the same grid as Laval, Brossard, Terrebonne, Lévis or Sherbrooke. The table compares the new grid, Gatineau's old grid (transfers before February 25, 2026), Quebec City and Montreal.
| City (2026 grid) | On $600,000 | On $750,000 | On $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatineau since February 25, 2026 | $8,610.50 | $13,110.50 | $20,610.50 |
| Gatineau before February 25, 2026 | $7,110.50 | $9,360.50 | $15,610.50 |
| Quebec City | $8,110.50 | $11,860.50 | $19,360.50 |
| Montreal | $7,349 | $10,349 | $15,349 |
| Basic provincial grid (no municipal increase) | $7,110.50 | $9,360.50 | $13,110.50 |
The grid applies to the city's five sectors (Hull, Aylmer, Gatineau, Buckingham, Masson-Angers). Chelsea, Cantley, La Pêche and L'Ange-Gardien, in the neighbouring MRCs, each have their own by-law. On the Ontario side, Ottawa applies Ontario's land transfer tax, a different regime with a first-time buyer rebate of up to $4,000: for a household hesitating between the two shores, the comparison is made on total cost (transfer tax, property taxes, provincial income tax), not on the welcome tax alone.
The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts 221 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.
For the refund, the $5,875 welcome tax refund; for Montreal, the welcome tax in Montreal; for Quebec City, the welcome tax in Quebec City; for the general rules, our guide to the welcome tax in Quebec.
$8,610.50 with Gatineau's 2026 grid, if the price paid is the tax base. An eligible first-time buyer gets $5,875 back from Revenu Québec and pays $2,735.50 net.
A few weeks to two months after signing at the notary, once the deed is registered in the Land Register. Gatineau allows 30 days from billing.
Since February 25, 2026, Gatineau applies the legal maximum of 3% above $500,000, like most large cities. It is more expensive than Quebec City (2.5% up to $750,000), Montreal (2% up to $1,104,700) and Longueuil (1.5% up to $630,100) on houses between $500,000 and $750,000.
Yes, the grid is the same for a house, a condo, a plex or a lot, and the price used as the base includes sales taxes on a new build. Since 2026 the GST is eliminated up to $1,000,000 on a new home for a first-time buyer, which lowers the price paid and therefore the welcome tax base.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.
Équipe no 1 de RE/MAX Platine en 2024 et en 2025, 6e au Québec, 15e au Canada et dans le top 50 mondial au classement officiel RE/MAX. Réponse en moins de 24 heures, sept jours sur sept.