Background
Thousands of Canadians purchased pre‑construction homes and condominiums in 2021–2022, during a period of historically high housing prices, acting in good faith and under normal market conditions;

Since those purchases, housing markets across Canada have experienced significant and rapid price declines, with values in many regions falling 40–50% by the time buyers are reaching occupancy and final closing;

Despite these market changes, buyers are required to proceed to closing and pay full GST/HST and related closing taxes, based strictly on the original Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS) signing date, not on current market conditions or closing timing;

At the same time, governments have since introduced GST/HST relief and tax incentives for new‑build homes, benefiting buyers who signed agreements later — even when they are closing at the same time as earlier purchasers;

As a result, two buyers of the same type of unit, closing on the same date, are treated very differently for tax purposes solely because one signed earlier, despite facing identical obligations at closing;

This policy outcome places an unfair and disproportionate tax burden on buyers closing during a market downturn, at a time when:

Home values are materially lower than purchase prices,
Financing conditions are more constrained, and
Buyers are already absorbing significant financial stress;
This situation is not driven by speculation or short‑term flipping. Many affected buyers are:

primary‑residence purchasers,
first‑time buyers, or
long‑term holders who acted responsibly and paid required deposits in full;
The current approach penalizes early buyers for acting in good faith and undermines the stated policy objective of making housing fairer and more affordable.

 
Our Request
Therefore, we, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Extend GST/HST tax relief to eligible buyers who are closing during the current market downturn
by basing eligibility on the closing or occupancy date, rather than strictly on the Agreement of Purchase and Sale signing date.

2. Provide temporary, targeted tax relief for new‑build and pre‑construction buyers
who are closing under materially worse market conditions than when they committed to purchase, including:

partial or full GST/HST rebates,
deferral or reduction of closing‑related taxes and fees, or
equivalent relief measures consistent with recently announced new‑build tax programs.
3. Ensure relief is fair, targeted, and time‑limited
with appropriate safeguards such as:

a primary‑residence or long‑term ownership requirement,
reasonable caps on eligible purchase prices, and
exclusion of short‑term speculative transactions.
 
Conclusion
This petition does not seek bailouts, speculative protection, or permanent subsidies.

It seeks fair and consistent tax treatment for Canadians who:

purchased pre‑construction homes in good faith,
are required to close during an extraordinary market downturn, and
face the same tax obligations as newer buyers — without access to the same relief.
We urge the Government of Canada to act promptly to:

extend existing tax relief fairly,
prevent unnecessary financial hardship at closing, and
ensure housing affordability policies apply equitably to all buyers closing today, regardless of when they signed.