Welcome tax · Saguenay · 2026 grid verified at the source
The exact 2026 grid of Saguenay, read on the city's site, with the tax on real prices, the credit and the payment terms.
In Saguenay, the 2026 welcome tax (transfer duties) follows the provincial brackets (0.5% up to $62,900, 1% up to $315,000, 1.5% up to $500,000) and then the city's own rate: 2.5% up to $1,000,000, 3% above. On a single-family house at $370,500 (City of Saguenay median, QPAREB Q2 2026), the tax is $3,668; an eligible first-time buyer gets $3,668 back through Quebec's refundable credit (up to $5,875, reduced above a $750,000 base) and pays $0 net. In Saguenay, the transfer duty is paid in a single instalment; any unpaid balance bears 15% combined interest and penalties. The bill arrives after the deed is registered, never at the notary, and no lender includes it in the mortgage. The 2026 comparative factor is 1.09: when the assessment times 1.09 exceeds the price paid, that adjusted value becomes the base.
Saguenay applies the three provincial brackets up to $500,000 and then raises the rate by by-law: 2.5% up to $1,000,000, 3% above. Below $500,000, the tax is the same as anywhere else in Quebec; the difference appears above.
| Bracket of the tax base (2026) | Rate in Saguenay |
|---|---|
| $0 to $62,900 | 0.5% |
| $62,900 to $315,000 | 1% |
| $315,000 to $500,000 | 1.5% |
| $500,000 to $1,000,000 | 2.5% |
| Above $1,000,000 | 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: ville.saguenay.ca, Droit de mutation immobilière (grille 2026, facteur 1,09).
The examples cover a condo, the $500,000 threshold, a single-family house at the median ($370,500, City of Saguenay median, QPAREB Q2 2026) and larger properties, so you can place your own price. Above a $750,000 tax base, the first-time buyer credit shrinks and disappears at $1,000,000.
| Price paid (or adjusted roll value) | Welcome tax | First-time buyer credit | Net cost, first-time buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $2,185.50 | $2,185.50 | $0 |
| $370,500 | $3,668 | $3,668 | $0 |
| $500,000 | $5,610.50 | $5,152.62 | $457.88 |
| $600,000 | $8,110.50 | $5,777.62 | $2,332.88 |
| $850,000 | $14,360.50 | $3,525 | $10,835.50 |
| $1,200,000 | $24,110.50 | $0 | $24,110.50 |
How to read it: on a single-family house at $370,500 (City of Saguenay median, QPAREB Q2 2026), the welcome tax is $3,668; an eligible first-time buyer gets $3,668 back and pays $0 net. At that price, Saguenay costs no more than a municipality on the basic provincial grid: the increase only starts at $500,000. 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, Saguenay's comparative factor is 1.09: a property assessed at $500,000 on the roll has a presumed market value of $545,000, 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 Saguenay, the transfer duty is paid in a single instalment; any unpaid balance bears 15% combined interest and penalties. On an exempt transfer, the city collects a special duty that is nil under $5,000, 0.5% of the value from $5,000 to $40,000 and $200 above. The 2026 grid and the 1.09 comparative factor are published on ville.saguenay.ca. 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 Saguenay'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 single-family house at the median ($370,500), the credit covers the whole bill, so a first-time buyer in Saguenay pays $0 net. 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. Saguenay 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.
On a $600,000 house, Saguenay charges $8,110.50, $1,000 more than a municipality on the basic grid. Between $500,000 and $750,000, Saguenay (2.5%) costs the same as Quebec City and less than Trois-Rivières or Drummondville (3%): on a $600,000 house, $500 less than in Trois-Rivières. Between $750,000 and $1,000,000, Saguenay stays at 2.5% while Quebec City moves to 3%.
| City (2026 grid) | On $500,000 | On $600,000 | On $750,000 | On $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saguenay | $5,610.50 | $8,110.50 | $11,860.50 | $18,110.50 |
| Quebec City | $5,610.50 | $8,110.50 | $11,860.50 | $19,360.50 |
| Trois-Rivières | $5,610.50 | $8,610.50 | $13,110.50 | $20,610.50 |
| Drummondville | $5,610.50 | $8,610.50 | $13,110.50 | $20,610.50 |
| Basic provincial grid (no municipal increase) | $5,610.50 | $7,110.50 | $9,360.50 | $13,110.50 |
The grid applies to the merged city's three boroughs: Chicoutimi, Jonquière and La Baie. Saint-Honoré, Alma and the Lac-Saint-Jean municipalities each have their own by-law. The 1.09 comparative factor is the point to watch on a sale close to the assessment: the base is the roll times 1.09 when that amount exceeds the price.
Our other data series for Saguenay, drawn from Centris listings:
Each page is recalculated from the past year's actual sales, aggregates only.
The notary's other document: Certificate of location in Saguenay: 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 Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
How many condos are for sale in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
When to sell in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
Condos that do not sell in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How many plexes are for sale in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
When to sell a condo in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
Plexes that do not sell in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How much buyers negotiate a condo in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How much buyers negotiate a plex in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
What the median house costs a month in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
What the house really gained in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
What the median condo costs a month in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How long to sell a plex in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How much is a duplex, a triplex, a quadruplex in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How much is a lot in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
Saguenay or the city next door: where to buy in 2026, matchup by matchup:
Each matchup puts Saguenay 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 Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How many houses still sell under $500,000 in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How long to sell by price in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
How much the lot is worth in a house price in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How many dollars of condos sell in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
The average condo price in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How long to sell a condo by price in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
How long to sell a plex by price in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
At what price plexes sell in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
The average plex price in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How many dollars of plex sell in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
Where the real estate money goes in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
What sells at what price in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
Which sells fastest in Saguenay, house, condo or plex:
Days on market of houses, condos and plexes compared price range by price range over twelve months in Saguenay.
At what price houses sell in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
At what price condos sell in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
The plex in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay in 2026:
The full math on the duplex, triplex and fourplex at the 2026 median price and the median rent in Saguenay, labelled assumptions.
Duplex or triplex in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay, 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 Saguenay this month:
The past twelve months, month by month, from the same Centris listings.
How many foreclosures in Saguenay, 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 Saguenay.
How much buyers negotiate on a house by price in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
How much buyers negotiate on a condo by price in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
How much buyers negotiate on a plex by price in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
Where the money goes by price in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
How much sellers cut their price before selling in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay.
And on a condo in Saguenay?
The tax on the median condo year by year, what a first-time buyer pays net and the cash needed, 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.
See also the welcome tax in 40 Quebec cities and the first-time buyer refund.
$3,668 with Saguenay's 2026 grid, if the price paid is the tax base. An eligible first-time buyer gets $3,668 back from Revenu Québec and pays $0 net.
A few weeks to two months after signing at the notary, once the deed is registered in the Land Register. In Saguenay, the bill can be paid in instalments: see the payment section above.
Under $500,000, no: the grid is the provincial one. Above, Saguenay applies 2.5% up to $1,000,000, 3% above, which places it below the cities that charge 3% from $500,000; the comparison table shows the gap on real prices.
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.