Are protected persons or refugees exempt from Ontario's non-resident speculation tax?

Yes - protected persons are among the recognized exemption categories under Ontario's Non-Resident Speculation Tax, meaning a buyer who has been formally granted protected person status generally does not have the tax applied to their purchase in the way an ordinary foreign national buyer would. This exemption exists alongside a small number of other specific categories, including nominees under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and spouses of Canadian citizens or permanent residents purchasing jointly with them.

It is worth being precise about the terminology here: "protected person" is a specific, formally granted immigration status, distinct from being a refugee claimant whose case is still pending and not yet decided. Someone still waiting on a decision is not automatically treated the same way, since the exemption is generally tied to the confirmed status rather than the broader circumstance of having sought protection in Canada.

If you believe you or a buyer you are working with may qualify as a protected person, confirm the current status documentation required and how it is applied at registration with a lawyer before assuming the exemption will be automatically recognized.