Laval QC — Welcome tax
Buying in Laval? A few weeks after you sign at the notary’s, a bill arrives in the mail: the property transfer duties everyone calls the “welcome tax.” In 2026, Laval charges 3% on the entire portion of the price above $500,000, and Quebec now refunds up to $5,875 to first-time buyers. Here is how it is calculated, what you will pay and what could change in 2027.
In short
- For a single-family house at $622,300 (last year’s average price in Laval, according to the Courrier Laval), the welcome tax is about $9,280 in 2026.
- The bill comes after the sale and must be paid in one payment, within 30 days.
- First-time buyers: a Quebec refundable tax credit covers up to $5,875 for purchases made since January 1, 2026.
- Laval is studying interest-free instalments, with a view to the 2027 budget.
Laval’s 2026 rates
The tax works in brackets, like income tax: each slice of the price has its own rate. This is the scale published in the City of Laval’s 2026 budget (p. 18).
| Slice of the price | Rate | Maximum for the slice |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $62,900 | 0.5% | $314.50 |
| $62,901 to $315,000 | 1.0% | $2,521.00 |
| $315,001 to $500,000 | 1.5% | $2,775.00 |
| Above $500,000 | 3.0% | — |
The base is the higher of the price paid and the municipal assessment, adjusted by the City’s comparative factor. If you pay less than the assessment, the assessment is what counts.
What changed in 2026: until 2025, the rate stepped up above $500,000 (1.5%, then 2%, then 3%). Since the 2026 budget, Laval charges 3% from the first dollar above $500,000. On a $622,300 house, that is about $1,650 more than under the old structure.
How much for your purchase?
| Price | 2026 welcome tax | First-time buyer credit (max.) | Left to pay for a first-time buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| $400,000 | $4,110.50 | $4,110.50 | $0 |
| $500,000 | $5,610.50 | $5,152.63 | $457.87 |
| $622,300 | $9,279.50 | $5,875.00 | $3,404.50 |
| $750,000 | $13,110.50 | $5,875.00 | $7,235.50 |
The new credit for first-time buyers
Announced by Quebec’s Ministère des Finances in spring 2026, the refundable tax credit for access to homeownership pays back a large part of the welcome tax:
- 100% of the first $5,000 paid, then 25% of the next $3,500, for a maximum of $5,875.
- For homes in Quebec acquired since January 1, 2026.
- You (or your spouse) must not have owned and lived in a home during the previous four years, and the property must become your principal residence.
- Houses, semi-detached and row houses, condos, duplexes and triplexes qualify.
- The credit shrinks for homes over $750,000 and disappears at $1 million.
- Since October 2026, you can ask Revenu Québec for an advance payment if the credit is over $1,000 (by December 1 of the purchase year). Otherwise, you claim it on your tax return.
Paying in instalments?
Today, Laval wants the full amount within 30 days of sending the bill, often just after new owners have emptied their savings for the down payment. On February 9, 2026, city council unanimously asked the administration to study payment in several equal, interest-free instalments, with a view to the 2027 budget. It is not a programme yet: the 2027 budget will tell whether Laval goes ahead.
Our take
For a first-time buyer purchasing a condo or a house under $500,000, Laval’s rates combined with Quebec’s credit make the welcome tax almost painless. That is genuinely good news. For families buying at Laval’s average house price, though, the jump straight to 3% above $500,000 made the bill heavier just as the average down payment soared. Interest-free instalments would cost the City little and help exactly the households that need it. We hope to see them in the 2027 budget.
This article explains the rules in force in October 2026; it does not replace advice from your notary or tax adviser.
Sources
- City of Laval, 2026 Budget (rates, p. 18; transfer-duty revenue, p. 39; in French)
- Courrier Laval, “Taxe de bienvenue : Laval pourrait étaler les versements dès 2027,” February 9, 2026 (in French)
- MNP, “Quebec introduces a new refundable tax credit for access to homeownership”
- Narcity Québec, advance payment of the credit, September 23, 2026 (in French)