Ford government planning to waive HST on new homes for 1 year

By Colin D’Mello & Isaac Callan
Global News
March 25, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

ONTARIO — Potential buyers across Ontario are poised to receive a significant tax discount on newly-built homes, but only for a limited time, as the Ford government looks to boost a sector struggling with a slump in sales. As part of his spring budget, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy is expected to announce that the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax will be removed for anyone buying a newly-constructed home, rewriting a policy the government introduced just months ago. …Ontario’s pledge to waive its portion of the HST came shortly after a similar announcement by the federal government — allowing first-time homebuyers to save up to $130,000 on a new home under $1 million, and lower rebates for homes costing up to $1.5 million. But the offer failed to ignite the market, forcing the government to take a second pass at the policy, and offer the discount to a wider swath of purchasers. 

Read More