How much GST do I pay on a new BC condo?

Direct answer

GST on a new (or substantially renovated) BC residential property is 5% of the purchase price — there is no provincial sales tax (PST) on the building portion of new housing in BC. The GST is collected by the builder/developer at completion and remitted to CRA. Two rebates can reduce the bill: (1) the federal GST New Housing Rebate gives back 36% of the GST paid (max $6,300 rebate) on homes up to $350,000 of fair market value, with a linear phase-out to zero between $350,000 and $450,000; above $450,000 there is no rebate. (2) BC offers no provincial new-housing rebate (the old PST rebate program ended). Worked example on a $700,000 newly built Surrey condo: GST = 5% × $700,000 = $35,000. Because the price exceeds $450,000 the federal rebate is zero, so the buyer pays the full $35,000. The rebate is structured so first-time buyers in higher-priced markets effectively pay the full 5% — a long-standing point of pressure on Canadian housing affordability. GST is in addition to the Property Transfer Tax (which is calculated on the GST-INCLUSIVE price for newly built homes).