The CRA is accepting applications for the first-time home buyers' GST/HST rebate. An eligible first-time buyer of a new or substantially renovated primary residence may recover up to 100% of federal GST, to a maximum of $50,000, at a purchase price of $1 million or less. The maximum phases out between $1 million and $1.5 million and is zero at $1.5 million or more.
Key facts
- Applications are open, according to the Canada Revenue Agency.
- The maximum is $50,000 for an eligible home at $1 million or less and declines to zero at $1.5 million.
- The rebate is for eligible new or substantially renovated homes, not an ordinary resale purchase.
- A builder may credit the rebate or the buyer may apply directly, depending on the transaction and forms.
The price threshold is only the first test
The program also has first-time-buyer, primary-residence, agreement-date, construction, completion, and application conditions. Buyers should not subtract the headline amount from closing cash before the transaction has been tested against the current CRA rules.
Cash timing can differ from tax value
A qualifying builder may credit the rebate, while another buyer may need to apply after paying the tax. Confirm the contract treatment, application form, evidence, filing deadline, and lender or conveyancer requirements before treating the benefit as completion money.
BC transfer-tax relief is separate
BC's first-time-buyer and newly built home property-transfer-tax exemptions use different thresholds, dates, property tests, occupancy rules, and filings. A buyer may qualify for multiple programs, but one approval does not establish another.
Use a four-column closing schedule
Record each benefit's estimated value, eligibility owner, evidence required, and cash-availability date. That prevents a future rebate, registered tax exemption, savings-plan withdrawal, and lender advance from being treated as interchangeable funds.
Parcel & Key did not receive payment to publish this report. Advertising, sponsorship, and provider relationships cannot alter the sourcing, headline, or conclusion.