Quebec minister introduces bill to end the double ‘welcome tax’ and parsonage exemption

Quebec is planning to change the way the welcome tax is collected from home sales.

Municipal Affairs Minister Geneviève Guilbault introduced a bill on Wednesday to end the double “welcome tax” and the tax exemption granted to private parsonages.

The goal of Bill 22, the Act to Enhance Municipal Intervention Powers, is notably to restore greater tax equity among taxpayers, she explained.

Currently, if a couple separates and one of the two wishes to buy back the house more than a year later, they must pay real estate transfer taxes again, even if these were already paid once during the initial purchase.

Often, the second “welcome tax” is much higher than the first, because the municipality takes into account the increase in value of the purchased portion.

“Taxing homeowners twice for their own home makes no sense. I want to correct this situation, which unnecessarily penalizes people at a time when property costs are skyrocketing,” the minister stated.

Her Bill 22 also aims to abolish the tax exemption granted to private parsonages. These are defined as the primary residence of a person designated as a “minister of religion.”

If the bill is passed, a minister of religion will have to pay the full amount of municipal taxes on their primary residence.

Furthermore, the legislation would allow municipalities, under certain conditions, to acquire properties whose property taxes have been unpaid for at least three years.

During a press scrum at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Guilbault said she hoped Bill 22 would be passed by the end of the parliamentary session scheduled for June 12.

“There is broad consensus on this. I think everyone will be in favor of putting money back in taxpayers’ pockets, so I hope we can pass it quickly,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 25, 2026.