Ontario real estate. First-time buyers of resale homes to benefit from new tax measure
The McGuinty government is giving all first-time homebuyers a break on land transfer tax by proposing to expand the Land Transfer Tax Refund Program to include purchases of resale homes, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced today.“Expanding this Land Transfer Tax refund is an important part of our government’s commitment to helping Ontarians buying their first home,” Duncan said.
Effective midnight tonight, first-time buyers of resale homes, as well as newly constructed homes, would be eligible for a refund from the provincial government of up to $2,000 of the Land Transfer Tax paid.
The expanded Land Transfer Tax Refund Program for First-time Homebuyers is part of a package of new tax initiatives announced in the 2007 Fall Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review that would provide $1.4 billion in provincial tax relief for business and people over three years. The government is making strategic investments in people, communities and infrastructure to strengthen Ontario’s economic advantage and help manufacturers and other sectors challenged by current economic conditions.
at
Given the economic times and the decreasing afordability of housing in the GTA, this is an important move by the provincial government. Any incentive that lowers the entry price for first time buyers is a good thing. It is unfortunate that this news hasn’t been at the forefront of the industry, rather than the coverage we received with regard to David Miller’s land transfer grab for the City of Toronto.
We need positive stimulation in the marketplace, we need to build the awareness of this opportunity for”First Time Buyer”s”