Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
    • Estate Planning for Individuals
    • Estate Planning for Business Owners and Licensed Professionals
    • Estate Administration
    • Guardianships of Property and Personal Care
    • Professional Executor Services
    • Real Estate Transactions
  • Blog
  • Checklists
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
    • Estate Planning for Individuals
    • Estate Planning for Business Owners and Licensed Professionals
    • Estate Administration
    • Guardianships of Property and Personal Care
    • Professional Executor Services
    • Real Estate Transactions
  • Blog
  • Checklists
  • Contact
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Youtube

Could Your Home Qualify for Ontario’s First Dealings Exemption?

  • Raluca M. Soica
  • October 9, 2026

If you have owned your home or cottage for many years, your estate may be able to save thousands of dollars through Ontario’s first dealings exemption.

If you bought your home or cottage around 2000 or earlier, it may be worth checking whether your estate could benefit from Ontario’s first dealings exemption.

Ontario gradually converted properties from the Registry system to the Land Titles system, with many conversions occurring around that period. Under Registry rules, an executor could generally transfer property without probate. The first dealings exemption preserved that treatment for certain converted properties, effectively “grandfathering” them in.

But the purchase date alone is not enough. The property generally must have been acquired while it was in Registry and must remain registered as Land Titles Conversion Qualified. A later ownership transfer or an upgrade in title can affect eligibility. Not every registration causes a problem: mortgages and mortgage discharges generally do not use up the exemption. A lawyer needs to review the title history to confirm whether the property qualifies.

A secondary will can help turn that eligibility into tax savings. If you have only one will and probate is needed for other assets, such as bank accounts, the qualifying property’s value generally still counts toward estate administration tax. With coordinated primary and secondary wills, the property can instead be covered by the secondary will and kept outside the probate application.

The savings can be substantial. Ontario charges approximately 1.5% on the taxable estate value above $50,000. If your other assets already exceed that threshold, excluding a qualifying property with a taxable value of $1 million could save approximately $15,000.

Your executor may also be able to sell or transfer the property without waiting for probate. Other estate obligations and applicable income taxes still need to be addressed.

For an eligible property, the potential savings may outweigh the cost of a title review and preparing a secondary will. Start by checking title before changing ownership or updating your estate plan. A little planning now could leave more for your beneficiaries later.

PLEASE NOTE: The content of this blog is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this material does not create a solicitor-client relationship. Estate administration is fact-specific and may require advice from a qualified estates lawyer. This information has been prepared in accordance with the laws currently applicable in Ontario and may not reflect future legal developments.

Share This Post

PrevPreviousDoes Your Will Account for Your Business?

Could Your Home Qualify for Ontario’s First Dealings Exemption?

If you have owned your home or cottage for many years, your estate may be able to save thousands of dollars through Ontario’s first dealings

Raluca M. Soica October 9, 2026

Does Your Will Account for Your Business?

For many business owners, a substantial part of the family’s financial security is tied to a corporation or professional practice. A will that addresses personal

Raluca M. Soica September 27, 2026

Contact

  • (647) 849-9359
  • (647) 694-5290
  • raluca@rms-law.ca
  • 2005 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario M2J 5B4

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Checklists
  • Contact

Follow me

Facebook Instagram Linkedin Youtube
  • Terms of Use
Ⓒ 2023 – All rights are reserved by www.rms-law.ca