Welcome tax · Montreal · 2026 grid verified at the source
Seven brackets, up to 4%: Montreal has the most progressive grid in Quebec. Here is what it costs on a house, a condo and a plex in 2026, and what a first-time buyer gets back.
In Montreal, the 2026 welcome tax is calculated in seven brackets: 0.5% up to $62,900, 1% up to $315,000, 1.5% up to $552,300, 2% up to $1,104,700, 2.5% up to $2,136,500, 3.5% up to $3,113,000 and 4% above. It is the only city in Quebec allowed to go past 3%. On a single-family house at $834,250 (median for the island, QPAREB Q2 2026), it comes to $12,034; an eligible first-time buyer gets $3,895.12 back from Revenu Québec and pays $8,138.88 net. On a $483,000 condo (island median), it is $5,355.50, refunded at $5,088.88 to a first-time buyer. The tax base is the higher of the price paid and the adjusted roll value; the bill arrives by mail after registration in the Land Register and is payable in one instalment within 30 days.
Montreal is the only municipality in Quebec that the law allows to set rates above 3%, and it uses that latitude with a seven-bracket grid. Below $552,300 it is identical to the provincial grid: a condo at the island median pays no more in Montreal than in Sherbrooke. Above it, on houses, plexes and prestige properties, the gap opens.
| Bracket of the tax base (2026) | Rate in Montreal |
|---|---|
| $0 to $62,900 | 0.5% |
| $62,900 to $315,000 | 1% |
| $315,000 to $552,300 | 1.5% |
| $552,300 to $1,104,700 | 2% |
| $1,104,700 to $2,136,500 | 2.5% |
| $2,136,500 to $3,113,000 | 3.5% |
| Above $3,113,000 | 4% |
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: montreal.ca, how transfer duties are calculated (2026 brackets).
The examples cover an entry-level condo, the condo at the island median ($483,000), the house at the median ($834,250) and two prices for plexes and prestige homes. The first-time buyer credit is calculated when the base is under $1,000,000.
| 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 |
| $483,000 | $5,355.50 | $5,088.88 | $266.62 |
| $650,000 | $8,349 | $5,837.25 | $2,511.75 |
| $834,250 | $12,034 | $3,895.12 | $8,138.88 |
| $1,200,000 | $19,825.50 | $0 | $19,825.50 |
| $2,000,000 | $39,825.50 | $0 | $39,825.50 |
How to read it: on a single-family house at $834,250 (median for the Island of Montreal, QPAREB Q2 2026), the welcome tax is $12,034; an eligible first-time buyer gets $3,895.12 back and pays $8,138.88 net. Montreal's municipal increase accounts for $1,409.75 of that amount, compared with a municipality that applies the basic grid. Our French welcome tax calculator runs the same calculation for any price.
Example on one of the team's listings: 4282 Avenue du Château in Pierrefonds, listed at $774,900, comes to a transfer duty of $10,847 ($314.50 + $2,521 + $3,559.50 + $4,452 over the first four brackets). An eligible first-time buyer gets $5,289.85 back, because the $5,875 credit is reduced by 2.35% of the portion above $750,000, and pays $5,557.15 net.
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. The notary records the tax base in the deed of sale and the municipality bills from the registration in the Land Register.
In Montreal, the duties are payable in one instalment within 30 days of the bill being sent, through the same channels as the tax bill (financial institution, online, by mail). The City does not issue a new property tax bill when ownership changes: the current year's instalments remain due on their dates, and the notary adjusts them between seller and buyer. 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 Montreal'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 $483,000 condo, the tax of $5,355.50 is refunded at $5,088.88: the first-time buyer pays $266.62 net. On a house at $834,250, the credit is reduced by 2.35% of the amount above $750,000: it falls to $3,895.12 and $8,138.88 remains. From $1,000,000, no refund. 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. Montreal 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.
Below $552,300, Montreal, Laval, Longueuil and Brossard bill the same amount. Between $552,300 and $630,100, Montreal (2%) costs less than Laval and Brossard (3% from $500,000) but more than Longueuil (1.5% up to $630,100). Above $1,104,700, Montreal's 2.5% then 3.5% brackets catch up with its neighbours' 3%.
| City (2026 grid) | On $600,000 | On $834,250 | On $1,500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal | $7,349 | $12,034 | $27,325.50 |
| Laval | $8,610.50 | $15,638 | $35,610.50 |
| Longueuil | $7,110.50 | $13,686.50 | $33,659 |
| Brossard | $8,610.50 | $15,638 | $35,610.50 |
| Basic provincial grid (no municipal increase) | $7,110.50 | $10,624.25 | $20,610.50 |
The Montreal grid applies to the 19 boroughs of the Ville de Montréal, from Rivière-des-Prairies to Lachine, but not to the reconstituted cities of the agglomeration: Westmount, Mount Royal, Côte-Saint-Luc, Hampstead, Montreal West, Dorval, Pointe-Claire, Kirkland, Beaconsfield, Baie-D'Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville, Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Montréal-Est each have their own by-law. The 2026-2028 roll, in force since January 1, 2026 with a reference value at July 1, 2024, serves as the base when it exceeds the price paid. Montreal also runs a home-ownership assistance program for certain households and new or family properties, cumulative with the provincial credit; its conditions change with the City's budgets.
Our other data series for Montreal, drawn from Centris listings:
Each page is recalculated from the past year's actual sales, aggregates only.
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 Montreal:
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 Montreal.
How many condos are for sale in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
When to sell in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
Condos that do not sell in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How many plexes are for sale in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
When to sell a condo in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
Plexes that do not sell in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How much buyers negotiate a condo in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How much buyers negotiate a plex in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
What the median house costs a month in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
What the house really gained in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
What the median condo costs a month in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How long to sell a plex in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How much is a duplex, a triplex, a quadruplex in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
Montreal or the city next door: where to buy in 2026, matchup by matchup:
Each matchup puts Montreal 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 Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How many houses still sell under $500,000 in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How many houses sell for over $1 million in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How long to sell by price in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
How much the lot is worth in a house price in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How many dollars of condos sell in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
The average condo price in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How long to sell a condo by price in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
How long to sell a plex by price in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
At what price plexes sell in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
The average plex price in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How many dollars of plex sell in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
Where the real estate money goes in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
What sells at what price in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
Which sells fastest in Montreal, house, condo or plex:
Days on market of houses, condos and plexes compared price range by price range over twelve months in Montreal.
At what price houses sell in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
At what price condos sell in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
The plex in Montreal, 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 Montreal in 2026:
The full math on the duplex, triplex and fourplex at the 2026 median price and the median rent in Montreal, labelled assumptions.
Duplex or triplex in Montreal, 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 Montreal, 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 Montreal this month:
The past twelve months, month by month, from the same Centris listings.
How many foreclosures in Montreal, 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 Montreal.
How much buyers negotiate on a house by price in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
How much buyers negotiate on a condo by price in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
How much buyers negotiate on a plex by price in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
Where the money goes by price in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
How much sellers cut their price before selling in Montreal:
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 Montreal.
And on a condo in Montreal?
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 Montreal:
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 budget, buying a condo in Montreal; for prices by borough, house prices by borough; for Westmount, the welcome tax in Westmount; for the general rules, our guide to the welcome tax in Quebec.
$12,034 with Montreal's 2026 grid, if the price paid is the tax base. An eligible first-time buyer gets $3,895.12 back from Revenu Québec and pays $8,138.88 net.
A few weeks to two months after signing at the notary, once the deed is registered in the Land Register. Montreal bills after registration of the deed and allows 30 days to pay in one instalment.
Below $552,300, no: the grid is the same as everywhere else. Above it, yes, with rates of 2% to 4% that the law only allows in Montreal; on a house at the $834,250 median, the gap with a basic-grid municipality is $1,409.75, still smaller than in Laval or Brossard, which bill 3% from $500,000.
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.