See every first-time home buyer rebate you qualify for in Ontario
Answer 13 quick questions. Get an instant, personalized estimate of what you could save on your first home in 2026.
Ontario first-time buyer questions, answered
The most common questions we hear from first-time buyers in 2026.
To qualify as a first-time home buyer in Ontario, you must be at least 18, a Canadian resident for tax purposes, and neither you nor your spouse or common-law partner can have owned a home you lived in as your principal residence in the current calendar year or any of the four preceding calendar years. You must also occupy the home as your principal residence within one year of closing.
First-time buyers in Ontario can stack six programs in 2026: the new home HST rebate (up to $130,000 on new builds under $1M, valid until March 31, 2027), the First Home Savings Account (up to $40,000 tax-deductible per person), the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan (up to $60,000 tax-free withdrawal per person), the Ontario Land Transfer Tax refund (up to $4,000), the Toronto Municipal LTT rebate (up to $4,475), and the First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit ($1,500 federal credit). A qualifying couple in Toronto can access over $200,000 in combined benefits.
Yes. Since 2023 you can stack both on the same qualifying purchase, up to $100,000 per person or $200,000 per couple of tax-advantaged down payment funds. FHSA withdrawals are tax-free with no repayment required, while HBP withdrawals must be repaid to your RRSP over 15 years.
Only partially. If your spouse or common-law partner has owned a home you lived in together, you can claim the rebate only on your ownership share, typically 50%. That caps the Ontario LTT refund at about $2,000 instead of the full $4,000, and the Toronto municipal rebate drops to roughly $2,237 instead of $4,475.
No. The 2026 HST rebate applies only to newly built or substantially renovated homes where the agreement of purchase and sale is signed before March 31, 2027. Resale homes do not qualify. On a new build up to $1 million, a qualifying first-time buyer can receive up to $130,000 in HST rebate, with a partial rebate scaling down between $1M and $1.5M.
No. Qualifying FHSA withdrawals for a first home are tax-free and do not require repayment. This is the key difference between the FHSA and the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan, which must be repaid over 15 years or be added to your taxable income.
Most Ontario first-time buyer rebates are applied at closing by your real estate lawyer, directly on your Statement of Adjustments. The Ontario Land Transfer Tax refund, Toronto Municipal Land Transfer Tax rebate, and HST rebate are typically handled this way. The First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit is claimed later on your T1 tax return for the year you purchased the home.
Adding a non-qualifying co-owner (such as a parent who already owns a home) to title can reduce or eliminate your first-time buyer rebates. A parent co-signing your mortgage without going on title generally does not disqualify you. Always speak with a real estate lawyer before finalizing how title is taken.
Important: Read before relying on these results.
1. Informational purposes only.
The First-Time Home Buyer Eligibility Checker (the "Tool") is provided by Deeded for general educational and informational purposes only. The Tool does not provide legal, tax, accounting, financial, mortgage, insurance, or investment advice, and nothing in the Tool or its outputs should be construed as such advice.
2. No professional relationship.
Use of the Tool does not create a lawyer-client, advisor-client, or any other professional relationship between you and Deeded or any of its affiliates, employees, or contractors.
3. Estimates only.
All calculations produced by the Tool are rough, illustrative estimates based on the information you provide and publicly available program rules as of April 14, 2026. Estimates may not reflect your actual entitlement. Actual rebate, credit, refund, and tax amounts are determined by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Ontario Ministry of Finance, the City of Toronto (where applicable), your lender, and your real estate lawyer at the time of your specific transaction.
4. Program rules change.
Federal, provincial, and municipal first-time home buyer programs, thresholds, deadlines, and eligibility criteria can change, be repealed, or be interpreted differently at any time. Deeded does not guarantee that the information in the Tool is current, complete, or correct at the time you use it.
5. Eligibility is individual.
Whether you qualify for any specific program depends on facts the Tool does not collect, including your full financial history, prior property ownership (including outside Canada), marital and common-law status, residency status, immigration status, mortgage structure, and the specific property being purchased. Answering the Tool's questions does not establish your eligibility.
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To the maximum extent permitted by law, Deeded, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and contractors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, or opportunity, arising out of or in connection with your use of the Tool or any decision made in reliance on the Tool's outputs, even if Deeded has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
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Before taking any action based on the Tool, you should consult with a qualified real estate lawyer, accountant, tax advisor, mortgage broker, and/or financial advisor licensed in your jurisdiction. Confirm all program eligibility directly with the relevant government authority.
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This disclaimer and your use of the Tool are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
By using the Tool, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to the above. Last updated April 14, 2026.