Welcome tax · Westmount · 2026 grid verified at the source
Westmount has its own grid, not Montreal's: 3% on everything above $500,000. On a $1,500,000 house, that is $35,610.50. Here is by-law 1653, the calculation from $900,000 to $4,000,000 and the comparison with Montreal.
In Westmount, the 2026 welcome tax follows the provincial grid up to $500,000 (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%) then applies 3% to the entire portion above, the maximum allowed to a city other than Montreal, under by-law 1653 in force for transfers since January 1, 2026. Westmount therefore does not apply Montreal's seven-bracket grid: on a $1,500,000 house the tax is $35,610.50, against $27,325.50 in Montreal; on $4,000,000, $110,610.50 against $112,895.50. The base is the higher of the price paid and the adjusted roll value; the bill is payable in one instalment within 30 days. The first-time buyer credit is zero from $1,000,000.
Westmount is a reconstituted city of the Montreal agglomeration with its own transfer duty by-law: by-law 1653, adopted in January 2026, sets 3% on the portion above $500,000, with the law's indexed brackets. The Montreal grid (2%, 2.5%, 3.5%, 4%) does not apply here. The result: Westmount costs more than Montreal between $500,000 and roughly $3,000,000, and less above, where Montreal bills 3.5% then 4%.
| Bracket of the tax base (2026) | Rate in Westmount |
|---|---|
| $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: westmount.org, by-law 1653 on the rate of transfer duties (transfers from January 1, 2026).
The QPAREB does not publish a separate median for Westmount; the examples below are typical prices in the city's market, from a Greene Avenue condo to a house on the summit. The first-time buyer credit is reduced above $750,000 and zero from $1,000,000: it only concerns condos.
| Price paid (or adjusted roll value) | Welcome tax | First-time buyer credit | Net cost, first-time buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| $700,000 | $11,610.50 | $5,875 | $5,735.50 |
| $900,000 | $17,610.50 | $2,350 | $15,260.50 |
| $1,200,000 | $26,610.50 | $0 | $26,610.50 |
| $1,500,000 | $35,610.50 | $0 | $35,610.50 |
| $2,500,000 | $65,610.50 | $0 | $65,610.50 |
| $4,000,000 | $110,610.50 | $0 | $110,610.50 |
How to read it: on a house at $1,500,000 (a typical Westmount price, used as an example; the QPAREB does not publish a separate median for the city), the welcome tax is $35,610.50; an eligible first-time buyer gets $0 back and pays $35,610.50 net. Westmount's municipal increase accounts for $15,000 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. The notary records the tax base in the deed of sale and the municipality bills from the registration in the Land Register.
In Westmount, the transfer duty is payable in one instalment within 30 days of the bill being sent, under the Act. By-law 1653 provides for annual indexation of the brackets according to Quebec's consumer price index, published in the Gazette officielle. The City's taxation department answers at 514 989-5234. 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 Westmount'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 $700,000 condo, the tax of $11,610.50 is refunded at $5,875: $5,735.50 remains. On a $900,000 condo, the credit is reduced to $2,350 (credit reduced by 2.35% of the amount above $750,000) and $15,260.50 remains. From $1,000,000, no credit: the tax is paid in full. 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. Westmount 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.
The table compares Westmount, Montreal and two other reconstituted cities of the West Island. On $1,500,000, Westmount costs $8,285 more than Montreal; on $4,000,000, $2,285 less. Dorval (2% up to $750,000) and Pointe-Claire (2.1% up to $1,000,000, 2.6% above) are cheaper than Westmount at every price.
| City (2026 grid) | On $1,500,000 | On $2,500,000 | On $4,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westmount | $35,610.50 | $65,610.50 | $110,610.50 |
| Montreal | $27,325.50 | $55,960.50 | $112,895.50 |
| Pointe-Claire | $29,110.50 | $55,110.50 | $94,110.50 |
| Dorval | $33,110.50 | $63,110.50 | $108,110.50 |
| Basic provincial grid (no municipal increase) | $20,610.50 | $35,610.50 | $58,110.50 |
Westmount is not a borough of Montreal: it is a reconstituted city with its own council, roll and transfer duty by-law. By-law 1653 replaces the previous by-law for 2026 with the indexed brackets. Mount Royal, Côte-Saint-Luc, Hampstead and Montreal West, the other reconstituted cities, each have their own by-law, to check before comparing two houses on either side of a boundary. On prestige properties, the roll value (2026-2028 agglomeration roll, reference value at July 1, 2024) can exceed a price negotiated downward: the base is then the roll, and the difference counts in thousands of dollars at 3%.
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 luxury market, luxury homes in Westmount in 2026; for Montreal, the welcome tax in Montreal; for a broker, real estate broker in Montreal; for the general rules, our guide to the welcome tax in Quebec.
$35,610.50 with Westmount's 2026 grid, if the price paid is the tax base. An eligible first-time buyer gets $0 back from Revenu Québec and pays $35,610.50 net.
A few weeks to two months after signing at the notary, once the deed is registered in the Land Register. Westmount allows 30 days from the bill being sent, in one instalment.
Between $500,000 and about $3,000,000, yes: Westmount bills 3% where Montreal applies 2% then 2.5%, which is $8,285 more on $1,500,000. Above $3,113,000, Montreal moves to 4% and becomes more expensive. Dorval and Pointe-Claire are cheaper than Westmount at every price.
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.