Can I claim the BC FTHB exemption if I owned a home in another country?

Direct answer

No. The BC exemption asks whether you have ever owned a home anywhere in the world, so a house you sold abroad before moving to Canada disqualifies you. Section 5 of the Property Transfer Tax Act sets the test as never having owned an interest in a principal residence anywhere, at any time. A previous home in the United States, India, China, the United Kingdom or anywhere else disqualifies the buyer permanently. The test is global rather than Canadian, and it is one of the most common disqualifiers for newcomers who became permanent residents after selling a home in their country of origin. The two federal programs are more forgiving. Both the First Home Savings Account and the Home Buyers Plan use a four-year lookback, meaning no ownership of a home you lived in during the year you open the account or the four calendar years before it, so someone who has rented in Canada for five years or more can use both and still be shut out of the BC exemption. The Newly Built Home Exemption is a separate program with no lifetime test at all, and a buyer who owned abroad can still claim it on a qualifying new home up to $1,100,000. Tell your lawyer or notary about any prior ownership anywhere in the world; a false claim brings repayment, interest and a penalty.