Buying an $800,000 home: Ontario, Toronto and BC transfer costs

How much does the location change this part of a moving budget?

For the stated ordinary resale purchase, an $800,000 home produces $12,475.00 of modelled transfer costs in Ontario outside Toronto, $25,065.89 in Toronto including its administration fee and HST, and $14,000.00 in BC. This is a comparison of transfer charges, not a complete closing-cost estimate. No exemption, rebate or special buyer tax is included.

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Apply each rate only to its price band

For Ontario at this price, the first $55,000 costs $275 at 0.5%; the next $195,000 costs $1,950 at 1%; the next $150,000 costs $2,250 at 1.5%; and the remaining $400,000 costs $8,000 at 2%. Those components total $12,475. The highest applicable rate is not charged on the whole price.

For BC, 1% of the first $200,000 is $2,000, then 2% of the remaining $600,000 is $12,000. The total is $14,000. Higher-value residential properties can involve additional bands and charges; this $800,000 example does not reach those thresholds.

References: Ontario: Calculating land transfer tax; BC: Property transfer tax

Toronto adds a municipal layer

The Toronto municipal tax on this purchase is another $12,475, on top of Ontario’s provincial tax. The model also includes the reviewed $102.56 Toronto administration fee plus 13% HST, rounded to $115.89. $12,475 + $12,475 + $115.89 = $25,065.89.

Toronto’s municipal rates changed for high-value residential properties from April 1, 2026. The dataset identifies its effective period. This example does not use the revised higher-value bands, and it does not include non-resident speculation taxes.

References: Toronto: Municipal land transfer tax rates and fees

Connect the difference to your moving cash

Holding every other amount the same, Toronto uses $12,590.89 more cash for these charges than the Ontario-outside-Toronto case. BC uses $1,525 more. Those differences reduce the cash left in the moving model by the same amounts; they do not change the assumed sale proceeds or down payment.

Use the Sell, Buy & Move calculator to include selling commission and tax, mortgage payout, legal and registration costs, the purchase down payment, bridge financing and cash you want to retain. Other provinces and territories need a combined provincial/municipal tax quote in the current tool.

References: Ontario: Calculating land transfer tax; Toronto: Municipal land transfer tax rates and fees; BC: Property transfer tax

Exemptions and the actual transaction can change the answer

First-time buyer relief, new-build treatment, special buyer taxes, exemptions, mixed property types and situations where taxable consideration differs from fair market value need separate review. This guide does not determine eligibility for any relief or provide a legal closing statement.

Where you have a transaction-specific tax quote, the calculator lets you choose a quote rather than automatically adding reviewed regional rates to it. Keep legal, registration and other expenses separate so they are not counted twice. Check the year and effective date before relying on a historical example.

References: Ontario: Calculating land transfer tax; Toronto: Municipal land transfer tax rates and fees; BC: Property transfer tax