10/09/2026
If you are buying your first home in Quebec, there is a government rebate that can put up to $5,875 back in your pocket at closing and most buyers do not know it exists yet. This video explains exactly how the program works, how much you would actually get at different price points, who qualifies, and the filing mistake that causes people to miss it entirely.
The welcome tax is a one-time payment due at closing based on the higher of the purchase price or the municipal evaluation. It is one of the largest surprise costs for first-time buyers in Quebec. As of this year, the province will reimburse the first $5,000 of that tax dollar for dollar, plus 25% of whatever remains up to an additional $875, for a maximum total rebate of $5,875.
The video walks through two real scenarios. At a $450,000 purchase, the rebate brings your out-of-pocket welcome tax down to under $1,000. At $850,000, you are past the $750,000 threshold where the rebate begins to shrink, it scales down between $750,000 and $1 million, reaching zero at the million-dollar mark. That phaseout is worth understanding before you fall in love with a property just above the line.
The eligibility requirement that catches couples: neither buyer can have owned property in the past four years. If one partner owned a condo two years ago and sold it, the household does not qualify, even if the other partner has never owned anything. The government estimates roughly 38,000 Quebec households will benefit annually, with an average rebate of approximately $3,700.
This rebate also stacks with two federal programs: the Home Buyers' Plan allowing up to $60,000 per person from your RRSP tax-free, and the First Home Savings Account allowing $8,000 per year up to $40,000 total with tax-deductible contributions and tax-free withdrawals. Combined, first-time buyers in Quebec can pull real money from three different directions at once.
One critical detail: this is not automatic. It is a refundable tax credit you must actively claim through Revenu Québec after closing. If you do not file for it, you do not get it.
LJ Aguinaga
CERTIFIED REAL ESTATE BROKER | LJ REALTIES
