New Brunswick’s transfer tax is simple in rate but has one twist: it’s charged on the purchase price or the property’s assessed value, whichever is higher, so a buyer who pays less than the assessment still pays tax on the assessment. Many homes outside Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton also come with a well and a septic system, which adds checks a city purchase doesn’t need. To estimate your own total, use the closing cost calculator and choose New Brunswick; the closing costs hub has a guide to each cost and each province.
The transfer tax
New Brunswick’s land transfer tax has been a flat 1% since April 1, 2016, charged on the greater of the price and the assessed value when the deed is registered; the New Brunswick land transfer tax page has it at common prices. First-time buyers pay it at the same rate as anyone else.
Assessed value, wells and septic
The assessed value is the property’s value on the provincial assessment roll, and the tax is worked out on it whenever it’s above the agreed price. For a rural home, a buyer can make the offer conditional on a water test and a septic inspection as well as the general one described in the home inspection guide.
Who handles the closing
The buyer’s lawyer pays the transfer tax when the deed goes on record at the land registry and registers the new mortgage at the same time; the rest of that work is set out in what a real estate lawyer does, and prepaid property tax is squared with the seller on the statement of adjustments. Provincial government services, the land registry included, are available in English and French. A lender may ask for title insurance on the purchase, and buyers of a newly built home can recover part of the HST through the GST/HST new housing rebate.
Example: a price below the assessment
A buyer agrees to pay $300,000 for a house near Moncton whose assessed value is $320,000, with 20% down. The tax is charged on the higher of the two figures. Professional fees shown are example figures, not quotes.
| Cost paid at closing | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer tax on $320,000 | $3,200 |
| Legal fees and disbursements (assumed) | $1,500 |
| Title insurance (assumed) | $300 |
| Home, well and septic inspections (assumed) | $900 |
| Total | $5,900 |
The total leaves out the down payment, moving and the property tax adjustment.
Next door, closing costs in Nova Scotia depend on a deed transfer tax that each municipality sets, and closing costs in Quebec run through a notary, with transfer duties billed after the sale. Help for first-time buyers in the province is in the New Brunswick first-time home buyer guide.
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on October 2, 2026. How we check facts.
- Government of New Brunswick: <<SR_PageTitle>>