Additional Property Transfer Tax on Residential Property Transfers to
Foreign Entities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District
An additional property transfer tax applies to residential property
transfers to foreign entities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The
Greater Vancouver Regional District includes Anmore, Belcarra, Bowen Island,
Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley City and Township, Lion’s Bay, Maple Ridge,
New Westminster, North Vancouver City and District, Pitt Meadows, Port
Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver, White Rock
and Electoral Area A. The additional tax does not apply to properties located
on Tsawwassen First Nation lands.
Foreign Entities
Foreign entities are transferees that are
foreign nationals,
foreign corporations or taxable trustees.
Foreign nationals are transferees who are not
Canadian citizens or permanent residents, including stateless persons.
Additional Property Transfer Tax on Residential Property Transfers to Foreign
Entities
Foreign corporations are transferees that are corporations:
• not incorporated in Canada or
• incorporated in Canada, but controlled in whole or in part by a
foreign national or other foreign corporation, unless the shares of the
corporation are listed on a Canadian stock exchange
Taxable trustees are trustees that are a foreign national or foreign
corporation, or a beneficiary of a trust that is a foreign national or foreign
corporation.
Applying the Additional Tax
The additional tax on property transfers to foreign entities is 15% of
the fair market value of the foreign entity’s proportionate share of a
residential property located in whole or in part in the Greater Vancouver
Regional District, excluding Tsawwassen First Nation lands. This tax applies in
addition to the general property transfer tax.
The additional tax does not apply to non-residential property. The
value of the residential portion of a transfer is calculated in the same way as
for the property transfer tax.
The additional tax applies on the foreign entity’s proportionate share
of any applicable residential property transfer, even when the transaction may
normally be exempt from property transfer tax. This includes transactions such
as:
• a transfer between related individuals
• a transfer resulting from an amalgamation
• a transfer to a surviving joint tenant
• a transfer where the transferee is or becomes a trustee in relation
to the property, even if the trust does not change
The additional tax does not apply to trusts that are mutual fund
trusts, real estate investment trusts or specified investment flow-through
trusts.
