Home Ownership Access Tax Credit — How to Claim Your $5,875 in 2026

Quebec refunds up to $5,875 of the welcome tax for first-time buyers since January 1, 2026. Here is exactly how it works, how to claim it, and three concrete scenarios with the numbers.

A new tool for Quebec first-time buyers

On April 17, 2026, the Quebec government announced a new refundable tax credit for first-time buyers. The measure is retroactive to January 1, 2026 and capped at $5,875 per file. It refunds part of the land transfer duties — the so-called “welcome tax” — paid to your municipality on the purchase of a first principal residence.

For most first-time buyers in Quebec, this is the equivalent of recovering all or nearly all of their welcome tax. On a $350,000 purchase outside Montreal, the credit covers the $3,481 in transfer duties at 100%. On a $500,000 purchase, it covers nearly all of it ($5,203 of $5,812).

At Anthony King — Architectes Hypothécaires, we integrate this credit into every first-time buyer pre-approval file since its announcement. This guide explains exactly what you need to know: who qualifies, how the calculation works, how to claim it (hint: not at the notary), and three concrete scenarios to visualize the real impact.

The formula: 100% then 25%, capped at $5,875

The credit is calculated directly on the welcome tax you paid to your municipality. The formula is progressive and simple to remember:

A few quick examples to calibrate:

• Welcome tax of $3,481 → credit of $3,481 (100% covered, below the $5,000 threshold)
• Tax of $5,812 → credit of $5,203 ($5,000 × 100% + $812 × 25%)
• Tax of $8,812 → credit of $5,875 (cap reached, net savings $5,875)

The credit applies only to land transfer duties. Notary fees, inspection, appraisal and other closing costs remain your responsibility.

Three real scenarios — from $350k condo to $700k house

To make the impact concrete, three buyer profiles we regularly see in our files at Anthony King.

For purchases between $750,000 and $1,000,000, the credit is progressively reduced according to the linear formula published on page 3 of the ministry of Finance technical document: factor = (1,000,000 − Price) ÷ 250,000. Examples: $875,000 → factor 0.50 → credit $2,937.50 (if base credit is at cap); $950,000 → factor 0.20 → credit $1,175. For properties at $1,000,000 or above, the credit is zero.

How to claim the credit (hint: not at the notary)

This is the element most first-time buyers misunderstand at first: the notary does not deduct the credit at signing. You pay the full welcome tax to your municipality. The credit is claimed separately, on your Quebec income tax return, the year following the purchase.

1. Step 1 — At the notary signing: pay the full welcome tax to your municipality as usual (billed within 90 days of the deed). The notary deducts nothing.
2. Step 2 — Carefully keep the welcome tax invoice and your notarial deed. These are your supporting documents for Revenu Québec.
3. Step 3 — In the spring following the purchase (April/May), enter the credit in the appropriate section of your Quebec income tax return. The precise form will be published by Revenu Québec.
4. Step 4 — If you bought between January and April 2026 and have already filed your 2025 return without the credit, you can adjust it via form TPF-1.R or an adjustment request to Revenu Québec.

Cash-out timing — TWO mechanisms (page 4 of the technical document): (1) ADVANCE PAYMENT from October 2026 if the eligible amount exceeds $1,000 — within weeks of the request to Revenu Québec; (2) REGULAR CLAIM via the income tax return — 8 to 12 weeks after filing. Without advance payment: from signing day to money in your account, about 12 to 18 months.

Practical consequence on your planning: even with the credit, you must have the cash to pay the full welcome tax to your municipality within 90 days of signing. The credit does not reduce your initial cash need — it refunds you later.

Stacking the credit with federal programs

The Quebec credit stacks with federal first-time buyer programs. In 2026, the full stack can include:

• FHSA: up to $40,000 per person in tax-deductible contributions, non-taxable withdrawals
• HBP: up to $60,000 per person withdrawn from RRSP for the down payment (15-year repayment)
• 30-year amortization on insured loans (first-time buyers on new construction)
• Quebec home ownership access tax credit: up to $5,875 refunded (the subject of this article)
• Federal first-time home buyers GST rebate (Bill C-4, Royal Assent March 12, 2026): up to $50,000 for purchase of a new home of $1M or less. Official phase-out formula $1M – $1.5M: Rebate = C × ((1,500,000 − Price) ÷ 500,000), where C = min($50,000, GST paid). Example: $1.25M = $25,000 rebate.
• Quebec non-refundable tax credit for first-home purchase: $1,400 (Revenu Québec, form TP-1029.AE)
• Federal Home Buyers’ Tax Credit (HBTC): $1,169 for Quebec residents — $1,400 × (1 − 16.5% Quebec abatement) — on federal return, line 31270

Stacked, these programs can represent tens of thousands of dollars in net savings for a first purchase. See our complete credit guide for the detailed procedure: /credit-acces-propriete.

The broker angle — why this changes your planning

For a first-time buyer, the home ownership access credit changes two things in financial planning:

• First, your net closing cost drops by $3,000 to $5,875 for most files — money you recover 12 to 18 months later. It does not change your initial cash need, but it changes your total cost of acquisition.
• Second, it creates a tax-planning opportunity: the refund received from Revenu Québec can be reinvested in your FHSA or RRSP for the following year, creating a snowball effect on your savings.

At Anthony King — Architectes Hypothécaires, the credit is integrated into every first-time buyer pre-approval since its announcement. You receive a precise estimate based on your target municipality, stacking with FHSA + HBP + 30-year amortization, and a complete cash-flow timeline: what you need at signing, what you will recover.

Related guides

Frequently Asked Questions