Alberta land transfer tax calculator
Alberta charges no land transfer tax — the answer is $0. You still pay land titles registration fees on closing, which are calculated from the property value and the mortgage amount. On a $500,000 purchase with a $400,000 mortgage those come to $1,000.
Alberta charges no land transfer tax — but you still pay to register the transfer, and that fee is calculated from the price. Enter it and we'll work out what you actually owe.
Alberta does not charge a land transfer tax. That is the whole answer, and most calculators stop there — which is unhelpful, because you still pay real money on closing. Here is what it actually is.
What you pay on closing instead
| Fee | Amount | How it's calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer of land — Land Titles Registration Levy (transferee pays) | $550 | $50 + $5 for each $5,000 OR PORTION THEREOF of the value of the land. Round UP — statutory wording is 'each $5000 or portion thereof' (Land Titles Act s.64.1(2)). Add $15 for each additional certificate of title affected beyond the first. Example: $500,000 -> 50 + 5*100 = $550. Effective 20 Oct 2024. Prior rates: $50 + $2/$5,000 from 1 Jan 2020; $50 + $1/$5,000 before 1 Jan 2020. |
| Mortgage registration levy (mortgagor pays) | $450 | $50 + $5 for each $5,000 OR PORTION THEREOF of the principal amount secured. Add $5 for each additional title affected. Example: $400,000 mortgage -> 50 + 5*80 = $450. Effective 20 Oct 2024 (was $50 + $1.50/$5,000 from 1 Jan 2020; $50 + $1/$5,000 before that). Land Titles Act s.102.1(2). |
| Supplemental / collateral / substitute mortgage, or amending agreement that increases principal | — | $50 + $5 for each $5,000 or portion thereof of the ADDITIONAL principal only — NOT the full face amount — where the mortgagee is the same party as on the subsisting registered mortgage. Land Titles Act s.102.1(4),(5),(7). |
| Leasehold estate created on registration | — | Transfer levy applies. Value = either (a) the value of the land including intended leasehold improvements, or (b) 5% of that land value x number of years (or portion thereof) remaining in the lease term. Land Titles Act s.64.1(1)(a),(3). |
| Discharge of mortgage / removal of interest | — | $10 for the first instrument + $5 for each additional instrument or title. |
| Caveat securing money / encumbrance / notice of security interest | — | $50 + $5 per $5,000 (or portion) of the amount secured; plain caveat (not securing money) is $35. Add $5 per additional title. |
| Total you'll actually pay to register | $1,000 | Mandatory rows only |
This is the number other calculators don't give you. Ask most sites what land transfer tax costs in Alberta and they answer "$0" and stop — which is true and useless, because you still write a real cheque at the land titles office.
What calculators get wrong here
- ROUNDING IS UP, NOT PROPORTIONAL. The statute says '$5 for each $5000 or portion thereof'. A $502,000 purchase pays for 101 blocks (50 + 5*101 = $555), not 50 + 5*100.4. Calculators that do 50 + value*0.001 are wrong on every price that isn't an exact multiple of $5,000.
- SINCE 20 OCT 2024 THIS IS A STATUTORY LEVY, NOT A REGISTRATION FEE. It moved out of the Tariff of Fees Regulation into Land Titles Act ss.64.1 and 102.1. Anyone still quoting the Regulation for the rate is quoting a repealed number. The old $2/$5,000 transfer and $1.50/$5,000 mortgage figures are dead as of 20 Oct 2024, and the levy applies by submission date received at the Land Titles Office.
- THE LEVY IS ON FAIR MARKET VALUE, NOT PURCHASE PRICE. Alberta's Transfer of Land information sheet defines 'value' as what the land 'might be expected to realize if it were sold on the open market by a willing seller to a willing buyer', including buildings and improvements. A $1 transfer between family members still pays on full market value, sworn in an Affidavit Re Value of Land (which cannot be more than two years old).
- REFINANCING WITH THE SAME LENDER IS LEVIED ON THE INCREASE ONLY. Under s.102.1(4)-(7), a supplemental, collateral, substitute or amending mortgage with the same mortgagee is levied on the ADDITIONAL principal, not the new face amount. Calculators that charge the full new mortgage amount on a refinance can overstate by hundreds of dollars.
- TRANSFER AND MORTGAGE HAVE DIFFERENT EXTRA-TITLE FEES. Beyond the first title, a transfer costs $15 per additional title but a mortgage costs $5 per additional title. Matters for multi-parcel and some rural purchases.
- THE ASSURANCE FUND IS NOT AN ADD-ON. Tariff of Fees Regulation s.1(2) splits every fee 90% duty / 10% assurance fund out of the SAME total. Do not add an assurance charge on top the way Yukon requires.
The same purchase, elsewhere in Canada
What $500,000 costs to close in each jurisdiction we've verified, so you can see how much of this is geography.
| Province or territory | Tax on $500,000 |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | $8,000 |
| Manitoba | $7,650 |
| Ontario | $6,475 |
| Quebec | $5,610.50 |
| New Brunswick | $5,000 |
| Alberta you're here | none |
| Saskatchewan | none |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | none |
| Northwest Territories | none |
| Nunavut | none |
See the full cross-Canada comparison →
So what can you actually buy?
Land transfer tax is one line on a much longer bill. Tell us what you have saved and we work backwards to the most expensive home you could genuinely close on — down payment, transfer tax, the sales tax on your mortgage insurance, registration and legal, all counted. Most people find a quarter of their cash goes to things that aren't the down payment.
What can I actually close on? →Or, if you already know the price: how much cash you need on a $600,000 home →
Common questions
Does Alberta have a land transfer tax?
No. Alberta does not levy a land transfer tax. You still pay land titles registration fees on closing, which are calculated from the property value and the mortgage amount.
What do people get wrong about Alberta land transfer tax?
ROUNDING IS UP, NOT PROPORTIONAL. The statute says '$5 for each $5000 or portion thereof'. A $502,000 purchase pays for 101 blocks (50 + 5*101 = $555), not 50 + 5*100.4. Calculators that do 50 + value*0.001 are wrong on every price that isn't an exact multiple of $5,000.
Rates current as of 2026-08-06. Verified against Land Titles Act, RSA 2000 c L-4, s.64.1(2) transfer levy and s.102.1(2),(4)-(7) mortgage levy — verbatim '$50 plus $5 for each $5000 or portion thereof'; s.64.1(3) leasehold valuation; s.102.1(5) additional-principal rule, Land Titles and Surveys common documents fee schedule, updated effective 1 May 2026 — Transfer of Land $50 + $5/$5000 + $15 per additional title; Mortgage $50 + $5/$5000 + $5 per additional title; discharge and caveat fees, Tariff of Fees Regulation AR 120/2000 (consolidated to AR 5/2025) — s.1(2) 90/10 assurance fund split, s.1.1 the 65+ discount limited to Schedule services, s.3 $50 corrective transfers, other document fees, Confirms the levy took effect 20 Oct 2024 and states the prior rates ($2/$5,000 transfers, $1.50/$5,000 mortgages). This is information, not tax advice.