Does Alberta have land transfer tax?

No, Alberta does not have a land transfer tax. Instead, Alberta charges a land title transfer registration fee and a mortgage registration fee. These fees are significantly lower than the land transfer taxes in other provinces like Ontario or BC.

How much are Alberta land transfer fees?

Alberta charges a land title transfer registration fee of $50 plus $5 for every $5,000 of property value, and a mortgage registration fee of $50 plus $5 for every $5,000 of the mortgage amount. For a $500,000 home with a $400,000 mortgage, the total fees would be $1,050.

When are Alberta registration fees paid?

Alberta land transfer and mortgage registration fees are paid when the title transfer is registered with Alberta Land Titles. Your lawyer typically handles this payment as part of the closing process.

Why is Alberta cheaper for property transfers?

Alberta only charges flat registration fees rather than percentage-based land transfer taxes. This makes property transfers in Alberta significantly cheaper than in provinces like Ontario or BC, where land transfer taxes can cost tens of thousands of dollars on the same property value.

Alberta Land Transfer Tax Calculator

Calculate the land title transfer and mortgage registration fees for your home purchase in Alberta. Alberta does not charge a land transfer tax — instead, there are modest registration fees based on the property value and mortgage amount, making Alberta one of the most affordable provinces for property transfers.

Registration Fees

Alberta Registration Fee Schedule

Alberta does not charge a land transfer tax. Instead, two registration fees apply when you purchase property. This fee schedule is effective October 20, 2024.

Land Title Transfer Registration Fee

Component	Amount
Base fee	$50
Variable fee	$5 for every $5,000 of property value

Mortgage Registration Fee

Component	Amount
Base fee	$50
Variable fee	$5 for every $5,000 of the mortgage principal

How to Calculate Alberta Registration Fees

Example: For a $500,000 home with a $400,000 mortgage:

Land Transfer Registration Fee:

Base fee: $50
Variable: $500,000 / $5,000 = 100 units x $5 = $500
Total land fee: $550

Mortgage Registration Fee:

Base fee: $50
Variable: $400,000 / $5,000 = 80 units x $5 = $400
Total mortgage fee: $450

Total Alberta Registration Fees: $550 + $450 = $1,000

By comparison, the land transfer tax alone on a $500,000 home in Ontario would be $6,475 — over six times more than the total Alberta fees.

Alberta vs Other Provinces

Alberta’s fee-based system results in significantly lower costs compared to provinces with percentage-based land transfer taxes:

Province	Cost on $500,000 Home
Alberta	~$1,000 (fees)
Ontario	$6,475 (LTT)
BC	$8,000 (PTT)
Manitoba	$3,650 (LTT)

This makes Alberta one of the most affordable provinces in Canada for property transfers.

Other Closing Costs in Alberta

While Alberta’s lack of a land transfer tax keeps property transfer costs low, there are still other closing costs to budget for when buying a home. These include legal fees, title insurance, a home inspection, property tax adjustments, and potentially mortgage default insurance if your down payment is less than 20%. Alberta buyers should also factor in property insurance and any immediate maintenance or moving expenses. Use our closing costs calculator to estimate the full cost of buying an Alberta home, and our mortgage calculator to determine your monthly payments.

Land Transfer Tax in Other Provinces

Land transfer tax rates and rules vary across Canada. Alberta is one of only a few provinces that does not charge a traditional land transfer tax, along with Saskatchewan and the territories. See our Land Transfer Tax Calculator for a complete comparison of rates in all provinces and territories.

Alberta Fees by Home Price

Purchase Price	Land Title Fee	Mortgage Fee (80% LTV)	Total
$300,000	$350	$370	$720
$400,000	$450	$370	$820
$500,000	$550	$450	$1,000
$600,000	$650	$530	$1,180
$700,000	$750	$610	$1,360
$800,000	$850	$690	$1,540
$1,000,000	$1,050	$850	$1,900

Formula: $50 base + ($5 × property value ÷ $5,000) for land title; $50 base + ($5 × mortgage ÷ $5,000) for mortgage registration.

Alberta vs Other Provinces

Province	Transfer Cost on $500K Home	Savings vs Ontario
Yukon	~$450	~$6,025 saved
Alberta	~$1,000	~$5,475 saved
Saskatchewan	~$1,660	~$4,815 saved
Newfoundland	~$2,100	~$4,375 saved
Manitoba	~$7,650	—
Ontario	~$6,475	—
BC	~$8,000	—

Alberta buyers save thousands compared to Ontario and BC on every home purchase. On a $700,000 home, the difference is approximately $8,300 vs Ontario and $9,650 vs BC.

Total Closing Costs in Alberta

Closing Cost	Estimated Amount ($500K home)
Land title transfer fee	$550
Mortgage registration fee	$450
Legal fees	$1,200–$1,800
Title insurance	$200–$400
Home inspection	$400–$700
Property tax adjustment	$600–$2,000
Total estimated closing costs	$3,400–$5,900

Budget approximately 1%–1.5% of the purchase price for closing costs in Alberta — significantly less than Ontario (2.5%–4%) or BC (3%–5%).

What Makes Alberta Unique

Alberta is the only major province with no land transfer tax whatsoever — only flat administrative registration fees. This is consistent with Alberta’s broader tax philosophy: no provincial sales tax, no provincial health premium, and historically lower income taxes. For high-value property purchases, Alberta’s savings are particularly dramatic: a buyer of a $1.5M home pays ~$2,500 in registration fees in Alberta versus over $26,000 in Ontario or over $38,000 in BC (including foreign buyer taxes if applicable).