When is welcome tax due?

It's billed by your municipality 3–6 months after closing, not at the notary's office. You'll get a single invoice, payable in one shot. Notaries usually estimate it on your closing disclosure so you can budget.

Why does Montréal charge more than the provincial default?

Quebec law lets cities set higher rates above $552,300 by bylaw. Montréal's top bracket reaches 4.0%; Québec City reaches 3.0%; most other municipalities default to the provincial 1.5%.

Are there any welcome tax exemptions?

Yes — transfers between spouses, certain transfers between related companies, transfers to a registered charity, and a few others. Ask your notary; the rules are narrow and lawyer-specific.

Is welcome tax tax-deductible for investors?

No. Welcome tax is treated as part of the cost base of the property, not an operating expense. It increases your adjusted cost base, which reduces your capital gain when you eventually sell.

Can I roll welcome tax into my mortgage?

Generally no — lenders don't finance closing costs. You need cash on hand at the time the city bills you. For an insured purchase, lenders sometimes allow a small portion of closing costs to be financed, but welcome tax isn't typically included.

How often are the brackets updated?

The provincial brackets are indexed annually based on inflation. Montréal and Québec City's top tiers are reset by city bylaw, less frequently. This calculator uses the 2025 brackets — verify with your municipality if you're closing in a different year.

Do I pay welcome tax on a refinance?

No. Welcome tax only applies to a transfer of ownership. A refinance keeps the same owner and just changes the mortgage, so no tax is owed.

Welcome tax · Quebec

Quebec welcome tax, bracket by bracket.

The droits de mutation immobilière owed at closing — provincial brackets plus the city-specific top tier. Montréal and Québec City charge more than the provincial default.

● Updated November 2025

Assumptions

Purchase price

Municipality

Drummondville (Other Quebec municipality)

Results

Welcome tax owed

$6,483

Bracket breakdown

On $0 – $58,900 at 0.50%$295

On $58,900 – $294,600 at 1.00%$2,357

On $294,600 – $550,000 at 1.50%$3,831

Foncier the whole deal

This number is one of seventy.

Cap rate is a start. The full Foncier analyzer adds DSCR, IRR, ten-year cashflow projections, scenarios, side-by-side compare, and live community rent comps — for free, on your first three deals.

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How this is calculated

Provincial brackets (2025): 0.5% on the first $58,900, 1.0% to $294,600, 1.5% to $552,300. Above $552,300 the rate defaults to 1.5%, but municipalities may set higher tiers by bylaw — Montréal goes up to 4.0%, Québec City to 3.0%. Brackets are indexed annually; verify with your notary.

Worked examples

Quebec welcome tax on common purchase prices.

Montréal duplex · $625,000

$5,728

On a $625,000 duplex in Montréal: 0.5% on the first $58,900 + 1.0% to $294,600 + 1.5% to $552,300 + 2.0% on the portion above $552,300. Total: $5,728 due at closing.

Bracket 1$294

Bracket 2$2,357

Bracket 3$3,866

Top tier$1,454

Sherbrooke triplex · $400,000

$3,651

On a $400,000 triplex in a non-Montréal municipality: 0.5% on the first $58,900 + 1.0% to $294,600 + 1.5% on the portion to $400,000. Most municipalities apply the provincial 1.5% above $552,300 too.

Bracket 1$294

Bracket 2$2,357

Bracket 3$1,581

Top tiern/a

Welcome tax questions

About Quebec droits de mutation.

Officially "droits de mutation immobilière" — a one-time municipal tax due any time a property changes hands in Quebec. Nicknamed "taxe de bienvenue" after Jean Bienvenue, the minister who introduced it in 1976.

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