Alberta has no land transfer tax, but Land Titles still charges a fee

Alberta has no land transfer tax. A buyer in Calgary pays something different: a registration fee to Alberta Land Titles, set at $50 plus $5 for every $5,000 or part of it. The fee applies once to the transfer of the land and again to the mortgage, if there is one.

That difference matters when you compare Calgary with a province that does charge a transfer tax. This post explains what the Alberta fee is, how to work it out by hand and which parts of a closing bill are not covered by the formula. For the wider list of buying costs, see the first-time home buyers guide.

What a land transfer tax is and why Alberta does not have one

A land transfer tax is a tax a province or city charges when ownership of a property changes hands. It is usually a percentage of the price. Alberta does not charge one. No part of your Calgary purchase is taxed as a share of the price at the moment title moves to you.

What Alberta charges is a fee for registering the change at Land Titles. The Land Titles Act sets it as a formula tied to the value of the land and the size of the mortgage. It pays for the registry that records who owns what and it grows in small steps rather than as a percentage.

The formula in the Land Titles Act

The Land Titles Act (RSA 2000 c L-4, current as of September 1, 2026) sets the transfer fee in section 64.1(2): “$50 plus $5 for each $5000 or portion thereof of the value of the land or interest in land to which the instrument relates.” The mortgage fee in section 102.1(2) uses the same wording, applied to the principal amount secured by the mortgage.

Alberta’s published fee schedule, updated effective October 1, 2026, shows the same two lines: Transfer of Land at $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of value and Mortgage at $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of the principal amount. This post does not state when the current rate took effect, because that date is not something to guess at. Check the Alberta pages if you need it.

In plain steps, the fee is:

1. Divide the value by 5,000.
2. Round up to the next whole number, because “or portion thereof” counts a part of a block as a full block.
3. Multiply by $5.
4. Add $50.

An illustrated calculation

The numbers below are an illustration, not a quote. They use the published formula and a made-up purchase to show the steps. The purchase price is used as the value of the land and your lawyer confirms the value that applies to your file.

Item	Amount	Blocks of $5,000	Fee
Transfer on a $700,000 purchase	$700,000	140	$50 + (5 x 140) = $750
Mortgage of $560,000	$560,000	112	$50 + (5 x 112) = $610
Total of the two fees			$1,360

Rounding up shows up when a number is not an even multiple of $5,000. A $700,001 value is 140.0002 blocks, which rounds up to 141. The transfer fee becomes $50 + (5 x 141) = $755. A $712,300 value is 142.46 blocks, which rounds up to 143, for a fee of $765.

If you buy with no mortgage, only the transfer fee applies. If you refinance later, a new mortgage registration brings the mortgage formula back into play on the new principal.

You can try your own numbers in the Land Title fees calculator. Use it as an estimate and confirm the final amount with your lawyer.

Other lines on the Land Titles schedule

The same Land Titles fee schedule lists charges that show up in certain files:

Service	Fee on the schedule
Extra title affected by a transfer	$15 for each extra title
Release of Dower Rights	$25
Transmission of ownership (for example after a death)	$25 per affected title

The transfer information sheet from Land Titles repeats the transfer formula and the $15 charge for each extra title. Most single-family purchases involve one title, but a lot with a separate parcel can involve more. A condominium unit may carry the unit title plus a separate title for a parking stall or storage space. Your lawyer sees this on the title search.

The Tariff of Fees Regulation also sets a 25 per cent fee reduction for Alberta residents aged 65 or older on certain registry services, such as copies of a certificate of title. The per-$5,000 formula for transfers and mortgages sits in the Act, not in that regulation, so do not assume the reduction applies to it.

What the formula does not cover

The Land Titles fee is one line of a closing bill. These items sit outside it:

• Legal fees and disbursements charged by your lawyer.
• Any service charge a registry agent adds when documents are filed. This post has not verified an amount, so ask your lawyer to list it.
• Property tax adjustments between buyer and seller on the possession date. The City of Calgary bills tax for the calendar year.
• GST on a newly built home, which depends on the home and on any federal rebate that applies.
• Costs for a condominium, such as the status documents the corporation provides.

For the full list of what a Calgary buyer meets before the keys change hands, read the buyers page and ask your lawyer for the full statement.

How to use this when you are planning a purchase

Start with the price you expect to pay and the mortgage you expect to need. Run the transfer formula on the price and the mortgage formula on the principal. Add the two for a working figure, then ask your lawyer for a written breakdown before closing.

If you are comparing Calgary with a move from another province, remember that a transfer tax elsewhere may be a percentage of the price. In Alberta the registration fee at a $700,000 price comes to $750 in the illustration above. That comparison holds for that line only. It does not tell you the total cost of buying, which also depends on legal fees, adjustments and the rest of the closing bill.

Derek can walk through the steps of an offer and point out where your lawyer will ask for these fees. Legal advice on your file still comes from a lawyer. See the buyers page for how a purchase runs or contact Derek with a question.