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 notary's other document: Certificate of location in Gatineau: cost, timing and when to redo it
Once the bill is paid: Welcome tax refund in Quebec: how to apply, where, when and with which documents
How much down payment to buy in Gatineau:
The legal minimum on the median house, the 20% that avoids the CMHC premium, the premium at the minimum, what a FHSA and an HBP cover, the condo, and ten years of perspective in Gatineau.
How many condos are for sale in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Condominium inventory at each month-end and new listings per year since 2016, absorption, months of inventory, and the comparison with single-family houses in Gatineau.
When to sell in Gatineau, ten years of sales month by month:
The month with the most home sales, the quietest month, spring versus winter, the best-paying month and when to list to sell at the right time in Gatineau.
Condos that do not sell in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Condo listings expired without a sale per year since 2016, the failure rate against sales, the same rate for houses, and what it tells a condo seller in Gatineau.
How many plexes are for sale in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Plexes for sale at each month-end and new listings since 2016, absorption, months of inventory, and the comparison with houses and condos in Gatineau.
When to sell a condo in Gatineau, ten years of sales month by month:
The month with the most condo sales, the quietest month, spring versus winter, the best-paying month, houses alongside and when to list in Gatineau.
Plexes that do not sell in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Plex listings expired without a sale per year since 2016, the failure rate against sales, the same rate for houses and condos, and what it tells a building seller in Gatineau.
How much buyers negotiate a condo in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Sale price as a percentage of asking for condos, year by year since 2016, the ratio on the original price, houses alongside and the dollar gap on the median condo in Gatineau.
How much buyers negotiate a plex in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Sale price as a percentage of asking for plexes, year by year since 2016, the ratio on the original price, houses and condos alongside and the dollar gap on the median building in Gatineau.
What the median house costs a month in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
The monthly payment on the house in the middle every year since 2016 with the Centris price and the 5-year rate actually charged, the share of price and the share of rate, the renewal shock and the income it takes in Gatineau.
What the house really gained in Gatineau, once inflation is removed:
Each year's median price converted to 2026 dollars with the Quebec CPI, the real increase, the years of real decline, the peak in purchasing power and the condo alongside in Gatineau.
Rent or buy in Gatineau in 2026, the calculation:
The median rent of the past twelve months against the monthly cost of the median condo, minimum or 20% down, condo fees, interest and principal, and what the same rent would buy in Gatineau.
What the median condo costs a month in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
The monthly payment on the condo in the middle every year since 2016 with the Centris price and the 5-year rate actually charged, the share of price and the share of rate, the renewal shock and the income it takes in Gatineau.
How long to sell a plex in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Median and average days on market of plexes year by year since 2016, the house and the condo alongside, market periods and the weight of buildings that sit in Gatineau.
How much is a duplex, a triplex, a quadruplex in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
The median price by building type year by year since 2016, the number of sales, the price per unit, what the extra unit costs and the house alongside in Gatineau.
How much is a lot in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
The median price of lots and land sold on Centris year by year since 2016, the number of sales, the 2021 peak and the weight of the lot in the price of a house in Gatineau.
Gatineau or the city next door: where to buy in 2026, matchup by matchup:
Each matchup puts Gatineau and a neighbouring city side by side over ten years of Centris sales: house and condo prices, gap, days on market, inventory, bidding, unsold listings and monthly payment.
How much is a semi-detached or row house in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
The median price by house type year by year since 2016, the number of sales, the shared-wall discount and how it moved in Gatineau.
How many houses still sell under $500,000 in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Sales under $500,000 and under $400,000 year by year since 2016, their share, the tipping year and what is still available under the threshold in Gatineau.
How many houses sell for over $1 million in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Sales at $1,000,000 and up year by year since 2016, their share, the first year with ten sales and what is paid above the million in Gatineau.
How long to sell by price in Gatineau:
Median days on market by price bracket over the past twelve months, the fastest bracket, the slowest and what it changes for selling or buying in Gatineau.
How much the lot is worth in a house price in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
The median price of houses on small lots and on large lots year by year since 2016, the large-lot premium and how it moved in Gatineau.
How many dollars of condos sell in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Condo sales volume year by year since 2016, the number of sales and the average price behind it, and the condo's share of the market in Gatineau.
The average condo price in Gatineau, and why it exceeds the median:
The average sale price of condos year by year since 2016, beside the median price and the asking price, and the gap between the two in Gatineau.
How long to sell a condo by price in Gatineau:
Median condo days on market by price bracket over the past twelve months, the fastest bracket, the slowest and what it changes for selling or buying a condo in Gatineau.
How long to sell a plex by price in Gatineau:
Median plex days on market by price bracket over the past twelve months, the fastest bracket, the slowest and what it changes for selling or buying a plex in Gatineau.
At what price plexes sell in Gatineau, range by range:
The distribution of plex sales by price bracket in 2020 and 2026, the best-selling range, the share under $450,000 and under $600,000 in Gatineau.
The average plex price in Gatineau, and why it exceeds the median:
The average sale price of plex year by year since 2016, beside the median price and the asking price, and the gap between the two in Gatineau.
How many dollars of plex sell in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
Plex sales volume year by year since 2016, the number of sales and the average price behind it, and the plex's share of the market in Gatineau.
Where the real estate money goes in Gatineau:
Sales dollars split between houses, condos and plexes every year since 2016, the category that weighs the most and the one that grew the most in Gatineau.
What sells at what price in Gatineau:
The 2026 sales crossed by price range and category: what sells under $300,000, who holds the million, where houses, condos and plexes compete in Gatineau.
Which sells fastest in Gatineau, house, condo or plex:
Days on market of houses, condos and plexes compared price range by price range over twelve months in Gatineau.
At what price houses sell in Gatineau, range by range:
The distribution of sales by price bracket in 2020, 2023 and 2026, the best-selling range, the share under $500,000 and above $750,000 in Gatineau.
At what price condos sell in Gatineau, range by range:
The distribution of condo sales by price bracket in 2020 and 2026, the best-selling range, the share under $300,000 and under $400,000 in Gatineau.
The plex in Gatineau, the 2026 file:
Prices, door, days on market, volume, down payment and what the median does not say, on Centris sales.
Is a plex profitable in Gatineau in 2026:
The full math on the duplex, triplex and fourplex at the 2026 median price and the median rent in Gatineau, labelled assumptions.
Duplex or triplex in Gatineau, the 2026 comparison:
Prices, price per unit, minimum down payment to live in it and days on market, on Centris sales by type.
House or plex in Gatineau, ten years face to face:
Prices, change, days on market, negotiation, plex-to-house ratio and price per door, on Centris sales.
And the market in Gatineau this month:
The past twelve months, month by month, from the same Centris listings.
Condo or plex to invest in Gatineau:
The median rental condo against the 2026 median duplex and triplex in Gatineau, at the same rent, rate and down payment, labelled assumptions.
How many foreclosures in Gatineau, ten years of perspective:
The number of houses sold as foreclosures year by year since 2016, their share of sales, their median price against all sales and the rebound from the trough in Gatineau.
How much buyers negotiate on a house by price in Gatineau:
Sold-to-asking ratio by price bracket over the past twelve months, the bracket negotiated the most, the one where asking or more is paid, and what it changes for selling or buying in Gatineau.
How much buyers negotiate on a condo by price in Gatineau:
Sold-to-asking ratio by price bracket over the past twelve months, the bracket negotiated the most, the one where asking or more is paid, and what it changes for selling or buying in Gatineau.
How much buyers negotiate on a plex by price in Gatineau:
Sold-to-asking ratio by price bracket over the past twelve months, the bracket negotiated the most, the one where asking or more is paid, and what it changes for selling or buying in Gatineau.
Where the money goes by price in Gatineau:
Share of dollars against share of sales by price bracket over the past twelve months, the average ticket and the bracket that weighs the most in Gatineau.
How much sellers cut their price before selling in Gatineau:
Sold price against the first asking price and the last, by price bracket over the past twelve months, and the bracket where sellers adjust the most in Gatineau.
Everything on Gatineau real estate:
Prices, sectors, taxes, buying, selling and investing, in one place.
And on a condo in Gatineau?
The tax on the median condo year by year, what a first-time buyer pays net and the cash needed, house alongside.
What the median plex costs in Gatineau:
The payment at 20% down and the welcome tax, year by year, house alongside.
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.