Image of the day: development charges, property transfer tax, and GST

On a 700-foot Vancouver condo

Figure 6: Cost breakdown per unit on a Vancouver condo project, including development charges, GST, and property transfer tax. Author’s Calculation.

How Taxes, and Taxes-on-Taxes Add Over $250K to a Vancouver Condo. Missing Middle Initiative, May 2025.

For this building, there are four relevant development charges, with the following estimated costs:

1. Development Cost Levies (DCLs) + Utility DCLs: $38,641

2. Community Amenity Contributions: $66,174

3. Metro Vancouver Development Cost Charge (DCC): $23,915

4. TransLink Development Cost Charge (DCC): $1,801

Added together, that is over $130,000 in municipal fees.

The project has to pay interest on these fees, since they’re paid at the beginning of construction. And then the buyer has to pay GST and property transfer tax.