top of page

New B.C. tax measures to increase affordability....


Short story....Chances are these changes will not directly affect you unless you are purchasing a house over 3 million dollars AND/OR you do not live in, and pay taxes in B.C.

everyone else.... I'm sorry...

Full details below.

ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX FOR FOREIGN ENTITIES AND TAXABLE TRUSTEES

  • Has gone from 15% to 20%, effective Feb 20 2018.

  • Contracts written before Feb. 20, 2018 with a closing on or before May, 2018 are exempted, but only for Capital Regional District, Fraser Valley Regional District, Regional District of Central Okanagan or Nanaimo Regional District. Note this exemption does not apply in Greater Vancouver.

  • Transfers pursuant to court order, order nisi of foreclosure, separation agreement, transfer from personal rep of deceased’s estate to beneficiary or transfer to surviving joint tenant are also exempt, provided the triggering event occurred before Feb. 20, 2018.

  • This tax applies to the Capital Regional District (Victoria area) , Fraser Valley Regional District, Regional District of Central Okanagan, Nanaimo Regional District and Greater Vancouver. The areas for each region can be found at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/property-transfer-tax/understand/additional-property-transfer-tax/bc-areas

  • Only on residential property; if property is farmland or commercial with a residential component, tax applies on the residential component.

  • Exemption for BC Provincial Nominee Program still applies.

SPECULATION TAX

  • Tax is meant to target foreign and domestic homeowners who do not pay income tax in B.C.

  • Tax will apply to same areas as foreign buyers tax apart from Okanagan, where it only applies to Kelowna and West Kelowna.

  • Starts in 2018 at $5.00 per $1,000.00 of assessed value, goes up to $20 in 2019.

  • It's not clear exactly how this will affect vacation homes owned by Canadians who pay tax in otehr provinces, nor when this tax is payable.

PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX

  • Tax rises from 3% to 5% on value of homes over $3,000,000.00.

  • Remains at 1% on first $200,000.00, 2% on amounts between $200,000.00 and $2,000,000; 3% on amounts between $2,000,000.00 and $3,000,000.00 and 5% on amounts over $3,000,000.00.

PRE-SALE CONDO ASSIGNMENTS

  • Developers will collect and report information about pre-sale condo purchases; nothing else in budget about pre-sale contracts or assignments that we have seen.

B.C. HOME OWNER SECOND MORTGAGES

This program is now cancelled

Notes adapted from Spagnuolo & CO newsletter.


bottom of page