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Ontario buyer guides

Find the guide behind your closing number.

Use the calculator for the full estimate. Use these guides to check the rules, documents, and line items behind a specific cost.

Calculate cash to close

Short answer

Start with the calculator when you need one cash-to-close number. Use the guides when you need to understand a specific line: rebate timing, builder price basis, development charges, land transfer tax, Toronto MLTT, or CMHC PST.

Rebate timing

GST/HST rebate and builder-credit guides

First-Time Home Buyer GST/HST Rebate Guide For eligible first-time buyers, federal GST/HST relief can reduce tax on a new home up to the $1M full-relief threshold and phases out before $1.5M. The cash-to-close question is whether the builder credits that amount at closing or the buyer claims it after closing. Ontario New-Home HST Rebate Guide Ontario new-home HST rebate planning depends on buyer type, agreement date, occupancy, price, and whether the rule path is confirmed or proposal-sensitive. The calculator keeps Ontario relief separate from federal relief and marks temporary or enhanced rules as verify-before-relying. Builder Credit vs. CRA Claim Later A builder credit can lower the cash a buyer wires on closing day. A claim-later rebate may still be valuable, but the buyer may need more money up front and wait for the rebate after closing. Net-of-HST Builder Price in Ontario A builder listed or APS price is usually the best input for cash-to-close planning. If a buyer only has a base price before HST, the calculator can estimate gross HST and a net-of-rebate listed price, but the final APS and statement of adjustments should replace early assumptions before relying on the result.

Closing ledger

New-build closing-cost guides

New-Build Closing Costs in Ontario Ontario new-build cash to close usually includes down payment still owing, land transfer taxes, insured-mortgage PST, legal/title costs, warranty or Tarion allowances, builder adjustments, development charges, and rebate timing. The exact number depends heavily on the agreement and statement of adjustments. Development Charges on New Builds in Ontario Ontario new-build development charges can be capped, uncapped, reduced, passed through, or hidden in broader adjustment language. The safest cash-to-close estimate separates capped amounts, uncapped exposure, and other/unknown levies instead of using one generic closing-cost allowance. CMHC Insurance PST in Ontario For insured Ontario mortgages, the CMHC premium may be added to the mortgage, but Ontario PST on that premium is normally a cash closing cost. Buyers who only look at mortgage payment estimates can miss this closing-day cash requirement.

Tax stack

Land transfer tax guides

Ontario Land Transfer Tax Guide Ontario land transfer tax is usually paid through the buyer's lawyer at closing. First-time buyers may qualify for a refund up to the program cap, but that refund is separate from federal or Ontario GST/HST rebate eligibility. Toronto Land Transfer Tax Guide Toronto buyers generally need to plan for both Ontario land transfer tax and Toronto municipal land transfer tax. First-time buyer relief can reduce each tax separately, but the caps and rules are not the same.

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