Closing Costs in Alberta (and Why There Is No Land Transfer Tax)

Closing costs are the extra money you need on top of your down payment to actually take ownership of a home. In Alberta, the good news is real: there is no provincial land transfer tax, which saves Edmonton buyers thousands compared to Ontario. The rest of your closing costs still add up, so budget 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price on top of your down payment.

What Closing Costs Actually Are

Your down payment is not the finish line. Closing costs are the one-time fees you pay your lawyer, the government, and various inspectors to legally transfer the property into your name and register your mortgage.

CMHC pegs total closing costs at 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price. The wide range exists because some costs apply to every deal, while others (a survey, GST on a new build) only hit certain buyers.

On the median Edmonton home, that range is the difference between a tight budget and a comfortable one. So you want to know which costs are guaranteed and which you can skip.

Why Alberta Has No Land Transfer Tax

Here is the part that surprises buyers moving from out of province. Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax. CMHC confirms this in its Alberta fact sheet, which lists only a Land Titles registration fee.

That single fact is worth thousands. In Ontario, the provincial land transfer tax on a $472,000 home runs about $5,915, and a Toronto buyer pays roughly another $5,915 in municipal land transfer tax on top. That is about $11,830 in tax an Alberta buyer simply never pays.

Alberta also has no provincial sales tax. Only the federal 5% GST applies, and it only applies to new homes, not resale.

The Land Titles Fee: Alberta's Closest Thing to a Transfer Tax

Alberta does charge a Land Titles registration fee, and it went up sharply. Effective October 20, 2024, the Government of Alberta set the Transfer of Land fee at $50 flat plus $5 per $5,000 of the property's value. Your mortgage registration adds another $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of the loan amount.

This is still far cheaper than a land transfer tax, but it is not trivial anymore. The previous rate was $50 plus $2 per $5,000 for transfers and just $1.50 per $5,000 for mortgages.

The government's own worked example shows the jump. CBC News, citing Alberta's fee change, reported that on a $450,000 property with a $405,000 mortgage, total registration fees rose from $401.50 to $955. That is a 138% increase.

A Worked Example on a Median Edmonton Home

Let's anchor this to real numbers. Current MLS data puts the Edmonton residential median sold price at $472,527, and homes are selling at about 99% of list, so do not count on a big discount off asking.

On a $472,500 purchase, here is a realistic closing-cost picture:

• Land Titles transfer fee: $50 base plus $5 per $5,000 of value, about $525 in total.
• Mortgage registration fee: on a $425,000 mortgage (10% down), $50 base plus $5 per $5,000 is about $475.
• Lawyer fees: a minimum of $500, often $1,000 to $1,800 once disbursements are added (CMHC).
• Appraisal: $250 to $350 (CMHC).
• Home inspection: around $500 (CMHC).
• Title insurance and adjustments: several hundred dollars plus prorated property tax.

That lands most buyers between 1.5% and 3% of the price, or about $7,100 to $14,200. The 4% ceiling shows up mainly on new builds where GST applies.

Edmonton buyers have plenty of inventory to run these numbers against, with active listings sitting in the thousands.

To turn this into your exact number, use our Alberta closing costs calculator. It already knows Alberta has no land transfer tax, so it gives you a realistic figure instead of an Ontario-inflated one. Pair it with the mortgage payment calculator to see your monthly cost too.

GST: The Big Difference Between New and Resale

This is where new-build buyers get caught. A resale home in Alberta is generally GST-exempt. A new home bought from a builder adds 5% federal GST to the price.

There are rebates. The standard GST/HST New Housing Rebate recovers up to 36% of the GST paid, to a maximum of $6,300, on homes priced at or below $350,000. It phases out between $350,000 and $450,000 and disappears at $450,000 or more (CRA).

First-time buyers got a major upgrade in 2025. For agreements signed on or after March 20, 2025 and before 2031, a new First-time Home Buyers' GST rebate gives up to $50,000 back, fully eliminating GST on new homes valued up to $1 million and phasing out to $1.5 million (Department of Finance Canada).

Costs Buyers Forget

A few line items catch people off guard:

• Real Property Report (RPR): In Alberta, sellers usually provide an RPR with a Compliance Certificate, but on some deals the buyer pays. A new RPR from a registered Alberta Land Surveyor, reviewed by the City of Edmonton for zoning compliance, runs $1,000 to $2,000.
• Property tax adjustment: Edmonton mails tax notices in late May, due June 30, and bills for the full calendar year. Your lawyer prorates the year between you and the seller, so you may reimburse the seller for taxes already paid.
• Title insurance: A modest one-time premium that protects against title fraud and survey gaps, often used in place of a fresh RPR.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Alberta have a land transfer tax?

No. Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax, confirmed by CMHC's Alberta fact sheet. You do pay a Land Titles registration fee of $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of the property value, but that is a fraction of what a land transfer tax would cost. On a $472,500 home, the transfer fee is about $525, versus roughly $11,830 in combined provincial and municipal land transfer tax on a similar Toronto purchase.

How much are closing costs in Edmonton?

CMHC estimates total closing costs at 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price. On Edmonton's median sold price of $472,527, that is roughly $7,100 to $19,000. Most resale buyers land in the 1.5% to 3% range, around $7,100 to $14,200, because the 4% ceiling mainly applies to new builds where 5% GST is added.

Do I pay GST when buying a home in Alberta?

Only on new construction. A resale home is generally GST-exempt. A new home from a builder adds 5% federal GST. The standard rebate can recover up to $6,300 on homes priced at or below $350,000, phases out between $350,000 and $450,000, and disappears entirely at $450,000 or more. First-time buyers with agreements from March 20, 2025 onward can get up to $50,000 back on new homes valued up to $1 million.

What did the 2024 Alberta land titles fee change?

Effective October 20, 2024, the Transfer of Land fee rose to $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of property value (up from $2 per $5,000), and mortgage registration rose to $5 per $5,000 (up from $1.50). The government's own example showed fees on a $450,000 home with a $405,000 mortgage jumping from $401.50 to $955, a 138% increase.

What closing costs do buyers most often forget?

The most commonly missed costs are the property tax adjustment your lawyer prorates at closing, a Real Property Report ($1,000 to $2,000) if a current one is not provided, title insurance, and the appraisal fee ($250 to $350). Lawyer fees start at a minimum of $500 and usually run higher once disbursements are added.