Saskatchewan does not levy a land transfer tax. What buyers actually pay when title changes hands is a registry fee collected by Information Services Corporation (ISC): 0.4% of the property’s value for the title transfer, plus a separate tiered fee to register the mortgage. On a $400,000 home, that title fee works out to about $1,600.
How the Title Transfer Fee Is Calculated
ISC’s title transfer fee is a flat 0.4% of the property’s purchase price or fair market value, under the fee schedule updated in July 2023. A $250,000 property produces a fee of roughly $1,000; a $400,000 property, roughly $1,600. The fee is paid at registration and is almost always handled by the buyer’s lawyer as part of closing.
Very low-value transfers use a small tiered structure at the bottom. The first $500 of value is free. Value between $500 and $6,300 attracts a flat $25. Above $6,300, the 0.4% rate applies. For any property priced in the range where homes actually sell, the exemptions at the bottom barely move the total, so the practical rule is 0.4% of the price.
Mortgage Registration Fees
Registering a mortgage is a separate charge from the title transfer, and it follows a tiered flat-fee structure keyed to the mortgage amount rather than a percentage:
- $250,000 to $500,000: $250 for the first four titles, plus $55 per additional title
- $500,001 to $750,000: $500 for the first four titles, plus $55 per additional title
- $750,001 to $1,000,000: $750 for the first four titles, plus $55 per additional title
- Over $1,000,000: $1,000 for the first four titles, plus $55 per additional title
Most residential buyers registering one mortgage against one title pay only the base amount for their tier. The per-title surcharge mainly matters for commercial deals or rural purchases where one mortgage covers several parcels. Discharging a mortgage later, whether from a payoff or refinance, costs $55.
The Affidavit of Value
Every title transfer requires an Affidavit of Value, a sworn statement of what the property is worth. ISC uses that number to calculate the fee. The affidavit can be completed by anyone with knowledge of the property’s value, but it must be signed in front of a Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public, or Saskatchewan lawyer.1Saskatchewan Registry Services. Titles Affidavit of Value Help
The declared value usually matches the purchase price. When property changes hands below market value or as a gift, fair market value has to be stated separately. Understating the value to reduce the fee can lead to the filing being rejected or to penalties for misrepresentation. Separate versions of the affidavit exist for standard transfers, condominium units, and land transformations, and your lawyer will pick the right form.2Information Services Corporation. ISC Forms – Affidavits
When the Fee Can Be Reduced or Waived
The Land Titles Act, 2000 allows for reduced or waived registry fees in specific situations. Transfers between family members for nominal consideration, such as a parent gifting property to a child, may qualify for relief from the 0.4% fee, though basic administrative filing costs still apply. Changing the form of co-ownership without altering each person’s share, for example moving from joint tenancy to tenancy in common, is generally treated as a non-value transfer and avoids the full fee.
Farmland has its own provisions. Agricultural land passed between family members for the purpose of continuing farming operations can bypass the standard value-based fees. Qualifying requires evidence that the land will remain in agricultural use. To claim any exemption, the lawyer must cite the specific statutory section and file supporting documentation with the transfer. If the correct exemption code or affidavit is missing, ISC charges the full fee automatically.
First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit
Saskatchewan offers a provincial income tax credit for first-time buyers that offsets some of the cost of purchasing a home. Starting January 1, 2025, the maximum benefit rose to $1,575, calculated by applying the 10.5% provincial tax credit rate to the first $15,000 of an eligible home purchase.3Government of Saskatchewan. First-time Homebuyers’ Tax Credit
To qualify, you and your spouse or common-law partner cannot have lived in a home you owned during the year of purchase or the four years before. You have to move into the home within one year. Qualifying homes include single-family houses, townhouses, condos, mobile homes, and apartments. The credit is non-refundable, so it reduces Saskatchewan income tax but won’t produce a refund on its own. It can be split with a spouse. One catch: if you received a loan through the Graduate Retention Program First Home Plan, you cannot claim this credit.3Government of Saskatchewan. First-time Homebuyers’ Tax Credit
GST on New Construction
ISC’s 0.4% fee is not the only tax that can apply on closing. Buyers of a newly built or substantially renovated home in Saskatchewan owe 5% federal GST on the purchase price. This applies to houses bought from a builder and to owner-built homes. Resale homes sold between private parties are GST-exempt. The gap is significant: on a $400,000 new build, the GST alone is $20,000.
The federal GST New Housing Rebate offsets part of the cost for homes intended as a primary residence. Under the standard rebate, buyers of qualifying homes priced at $350,000 or less can recover up to $6,300, which is 36% of the GST paid. The rebate phases out between $350,000 and $450,000 and disappears above that.4Canada Revenue Agency. GST/HST New Housing Rebate
An enhanced rebate of up to $50,000 was proposed through federal legislation (Bill C-4), which would apply a full GST refund on new homes priced at $1 million or less and a partial refund for homes between $1 million and $1.5 million. Confirm with your builder or lawyer whether the enhanced rebate is in effect at the time of purchase, since its legislative status may have changed.
Other Closing Costs to Budget For
Beyond ISC’s fees and any GST, several other costs land at closing. Missing them is where budgets go wrong.
- Legal fees. A lawyer handling a standard residential purchase in Saskatchewan typically charges $800 to $1,000. Complex deals cost more; cash purchases without a mortgage cost less. Saskatchewan PST applies to legal services related to property in the province, so expect tax on top of the quoted fee.
- Title insurance. If there is no valid or recent survey, your lender will likely require title insurance. Premiums start around $250 for a typical residential purchase and rise with property value.
- Property tax adjustments. Buyers and sellers split the year’s property taxes based on the possession date. If the seller already paid the full year, you reimburse them for your share. If taxes are unpaid, the seller credits you their share and you take on the full bill.
- Disbursements. Title searches, tax certificate searches, couriers, and filing fees run through your lawyer’s office and typically total around $100.