Free US Real Estate Transfer Tax Estimator:
Deed Stamps & Closing Costs

A land transfer tax — also known as a real estate excise tax, deed stamp tax, conveyance tax, or documentary transfer tax depending on your state — is a one-time government fee charged every time legal title to real property transfers from one owner to another.

It applies at the moment of closing, when the deed is recorded at the county courthouse. The tax is triggered by a sale, a gift transfer, a foreclosure deed, or in some states even an entity-level ownership transfer (CITT) — any event that legally passes title from one party to another.

It does not apply to refinancing your existing mortgage (though the mortgage recording tax does in 10 states), and it does not recur annually like property taxes.

These are all different names for the same core concept — a government tax on a real estate transaction — but the specific legal name varies by state:

• Transfer tax — Generic term used in most states (e.g., Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland)
• Documentary stamp tax or “doc stamps” — Used in Florida, Delaware, and some Southern states; originally refers to physical tax stamps affixed to the deed
• Real estate excise tax (REET) — Washington State’s specific name for its tiered transfer tax
• Conveyance tax — Used in Hawaii and a few other states
• Recordation tax — Used in Maryland and DC, referring to the act of recording the deed

Regardless of the name, the calculation method and effect are identical — a percentage of the sale price paid at closing. This calculator identifies each state’s correct term internally and displays it in your results.

No — these are two completely different taxes, charged by different authorities at different times.

Transfer taxes appear on your ALTA settlement statement at closing; property taxes appear on your annual county tax bill. Always budget for both when purchasing real estate.

The mortgage recording tax is a completely separate tax from the deed transfer tax. It is levied on the mortgage instrument itself — the promissory note and lien — not on the property sale transaction.

10 states impose a mortgage recording tax: New York, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Maryland, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kansas, and Virginia. In these states, every time a new mortgage is recorded — at purchase or at refinancing — the borrower pays this tax on the loan amount.

This calculator computes mortgage recording tax separately when you enter a loan amount, and displays it as a distinct line on your results panel.

Transfer taxes are not deductible as a current-year expense on your federal income tax return for a personal residence — the IRS does not allow a direct deduction for transfer taxes paid on a home purchase or sale.

However, they are treated favorably in two other ways:

• Buyer-paid transfer taxes are added to your property’s cost basis, reducing your capital gains tax when you eventually sell. A higher cost basis means lower profit on paper, which means less capital gains tax.
• Seller-paid transfer taxes reduce your net proceeds from the sale, effectively reducing your capital gain on the transaction — treated as a selling expense that lowers taxable gain.

The calculator applies the exact statutory rate structure for each US state to your inputted sale price. For flat-rate states like California (0.11%) or Florida (0.70%), it multiplies the sale price by that single rate. For tiered-rate states like New York, Washington, and New Jersey, it applies bracket math — each rate applies only to the portion of value within that bracket, not the entire price.

It then layers additional components on top:

• Local / city surcharges (NYC RPTT, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh)
• Mortgage recording tax — calculated on your loan amount, not sale price
• First-time homebuyer discount — if toggled and applicable in your state
• CITT flag — if entity/stock transfer is selected in commercial tab

The calculation engine uses the same methodology your title company or closing attorney would apply, producing results accurate to within a few dollars of your actual closing disclosure figure.

The effective rate is the total transfer tax expressed as a percentage of your sale price — it tells you your actual tax burden, not just the stated bracket rate. This matters most in tiered-rate states.

For example, Washington State’s brackets are 1.10%, 1.28%, 2.75%, and 3.00%. On a $1,800,000 sale, the effective rate is approximately 2.18% — not 2.75%, because the lower brackets apply to the first portions of the price. The effective rate is always shown in the results panel so you can compare apples-to-apples across different states and price points.

At the state level alone:

However, when local taxes are included, New York City holds the record — the combined state + city RPTT + Mansion Tax can reach 4.5–6%+ on high-value Manhattan properties. Philadelphia also reaches 4.278% with its local realty transfer tax layered on the PA state 1%.

Tiered brackets work exactly like federal income tax brackets — each rate only applies to the value within that bracket, not the entire sale price. Here is Washington State’s REET applied to a $2,000,000 sale:

If Washington applied a flat 2.75% to the full $2M, the tax would be $55,000 — nearly double. The tiered approach is more progressive and rewards lower-priced properties with a lower effective rate. This calculator applies the correct bracket math for every tiered state.

This calculator uses 2026 statutory rates sourced from state revenue departments and is updated regularly. For standard residential transactions, it produces results within a few dollars of your actual title company calculation.

However, there are limitations — the calculator does not model:

• Certain intra-family gift transfer exemptions
• Divorce decree transfers and estate distribution deeds (often exempt)
• Hyper-local municipality rates beyond the major city overrides included
• Special purpose districts or BID (Business Improvement District) fees
• Tax treaty or tribal land exemptions

It depends on your state and your purchase contract. In most US states, who pays is negotiable between buyer and seller. However, states have established market conventions:

• Seller typically pays: New Jersey (by statute), California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas, most Midwest states
• Buyer typically pays: Washington DC, Colorado, West Virginia, Iowa
• Split 50/50 by convention: Delaware, New Hampshire, Maryland, Maine
• Negotiable, no convention: Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, most other states

Use the Split Negotiator tab in the calculator above to model any buyer/seller split ratio — from 100% buyer to 100% seller — and see exactly how it affects each party’s closing costs under different negotiation scenarios.

Yes — in almost every US state, who pays the transfer tax is contractually negotiable. The purchase agreement can specify any split: 100% seller, 100% buyer, 50/50, or any other ratio.

Practical negotiation considerations:

• In a buyer’s market, sellers often accept paying a larger share of transfer tax as a closing cost concession, especially if the seller is motivated to close quickly.
• In a seller’s market, buyers frequently absorb the full transfer tax or accept the default convention without negotiation.
• On high-value deals, a shift from 50/50 to seller-pays-all can save the buyer $10,000–$40,000 in cash at closing.

Several states and jurisdictions reduce or waive the buyer’s transfer tax for qualifying first-time homebuyers. The definition of “first-time homebuyer” for this purpose is typically: you have not owned a principal residence in the past 3 years. This means even someone who has previously owned a home can qualify after a 3-year gap.

Key FTHB discounts available in this calculator:

• Delaware: State’s 1.5% share fully waived for buyer on homes up to $400,000 — saving up to $6,000
• Washington DC: Recordation tax reduced from 1.1% to 0.725% on homes under $800,000
• Maryland: State transfer tax portion exempted on homes under $200,000
• Philadelphia, PA: Rate reduced from 4.278% to 3% for owner-occupants
• Connecticut: Rate capped at 0.5% (vs 1%+) for primary residence purchases

Toggle the “First-Time Buyer” chip in the Buyer Status selector to apply your state’s discount automatically in the calculator.

Yes — this is one of the most underutilized tax strategies in residential real estate. When you (the buyer) pay transfer taxes at closing, the IRS allows you to add that amount to your property’s cost basis.

Why this matters: Capital gains tax is calculated on profit = sale price minus cost basis. A higher cost basis means lower reported profit, which means less capital gains tax when you eventually sell.

Keep your ALTA settlement statement permanently — it is your documentation for the IRS.

Yes — several legal strategies can legitimately reduce your transfer tax burden:

• Choose a no-tax state: For investment purchases, targeting one of the 13 no-tax states eliminates transfer tax entirely. On a $1M investment, this can save $5,000–$40,000 depending on the alternative state.
• Use FTHB exemptions: Qualifying first-time buyers in Delaware, DC, Maryland, and PA can save thousands.
• Negotiate seller-pays: Even in states with no FTHB discount, negotiating a seller-paid transfer tax reduces your out-of-pocket closing cash.
• Gift transfers between immediate family: Many states exempt direct deed transfers between spouses, parent and child, or grandparent and grandchild from transfer tax — always verify with a real estate attorney.
• CEMA in New York: A Consolidation, Extension and Modification Agreement allows NY buyers to avoid paying mortgage recording tax on the balance of an existing loan being assumed — only paying the tax on new money.

These 13 states impose zero state-level real estate transfer tax as of 2026:

Important caveats:

• Wyoming — no state transfer tax, but some counties impose a small documentary fee
• Oregon — no state tax, but Portland Metro and Washington County impose local transfer taxes
• Texas — no transfer tax at any level (state, county, or city) — truly zero friction on this cost
• Indiana — has a county fee in some jurisdictions but no state-level tax

Always verify with local counsel for county-specific fees not captured in this calculator.

New York’s Mansion Tax is a graduated buyer-paid surcharge on residential purchases at or above $1,000,000. It is in addition to the standard NY State transfer tax (0.40%) and any NYC RPTT. It applies to the full purchase price once you cross each threshold — not just the excess. This creates a “cliff effect” at each bracket:

It applies to residential properties throughout New York State — not just NYC. Commercial properties, land, and co-op shares are generally not subject to the Mansion Tax, though NYC co-ops have their own transfer rules.

Delaware imposes a combined 4.0% transfer tax — 2% state and 2% county — making it the highest flat-rate state transfer tax in the US. Both buyer and seller traditionally pay their 2% share (1% state + 1% county each), resulting in 2% to each party.

The First-Time Homebuyer exemption is significant: it waives the state’s 1.5% share of the buyer’s portion on purchases up to $400,000. On a $380,000 home, this saves $5,700 for the buyer — reducing their effective rate from 2% to 0.5% on the state portion.

Yes — Florida imposes two separate document stamp taxes:

• Deed transfer tax: $0.70 per $100 of consideration (0.70%) — paid by the seller, based on the sale price. Miami-Dade County adds a surtax bringing the effective rate to $0.60/$100 for non-single-family transfers in Miami-Dade.
• Mortgage document stamp tax: $0.35 per $100 of loan principal (0.35%) — paid by the buyer/borrower when a new mortgage is originated or a new note is executed.

Pennsylvania’s base state realty transfer tax is 1% — but municipalities are authorized to levy an additional local realty transfer tax up to 1% as well, bringing the total to 2% in standard areas. However, some cities go much higher:

In Philadelphia, the buyer and seller typically each pay half (2.139% each), but this is negotiable. This calculator includes Philadelphia and Pittsburgh overrides — select them in the “County/City Override” dropdown when PA is selected.

The Controlling Interest Transfer Tax (CITT) is levied by 17 states when a majority ownership stake (typically 50%+) in an entity that holds real property is transferred — even if no deed is ever recorded. It is the states’ mechanism for preventing transfer tax avoidance through entity-ownership structures.

Key CITT facts:

• States with CITT include CT, DE, FL, IL, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, TN, WA, and WV
• The tax rate is typically the same as the standard deed transfer tax for that state
• The tax basis is the fair market value of the real property held by the entity — not necessarily the purchase price of the entity
• Even gradual transfers that cumulatively reach the threshold over multiple transactions can trigger CITT in some states

No — 1031 exchanges do not defer or eliminate transfer taxes. A 1031 exchange under IRC Section 1031 defers federal (and in some cases state) capital gains tax on the sale of investment real estate, but transfer taxes are always due at closing regardless of whether the transaction is structured as a 1031 exchange.

This means an investor doing a 1031 exchange must budget for:

• Transfer tax on the sale of the relinquished property (typically seller-paid)
• Transfer tax on the purchase of the replacement property (typically buyer-paid)
• Both of these are real cash costs that must be sourced outside the exchange proceeds — you cannot pay them from the 1031 escrow without risking “boot” treatment

It depends on the state and the specific relationship. Most US states include exemptions for certain non-arm’s-length transfers:

• Inheritance via probate: Property transferred by will or intestate succession is generally exempt from transfer tax in most states, since the “consideration” is zero.
• Direct family gift deeds: Many states exempt deed transfers between spouses, parent-to-child, and grandparent-to-grandchild when there is no monetary consideration — but the deed must explicitly state this.
• Trust transfers: Transfers into and out of revocable living trusts where the beneficial ownership does not change are typically exempt. Transfers to irrevocable trusts or third-party trustees may trigger the tax.
• Divorce-related transfers: Transfers of property between spouses as part of a court-ordered divorce decree are exempt in virtually all states.

A CEMA (Consolidation, Extension and Modification Agreement) is a New York-specific instrument that allows a buyer to assume the seller’s existing mortgage and avoid paying mortgage recording tax on that balance. You only pay recording tax on the new money — the difference between the seller’s existing loan balance and your new total loan amount.

Example: Seller has a $500,000 outstanding mortgage. Buyer is obtaining an $800,000 loan. Without CEMA: buyer pays NY MRT on the full $800,000. With a CEMA: buyer only pays MRT on the incremental $300,000 of new money.

CEMAs require cooperation from the seller’s lender, are more complex to close, and add time to the closing process — typically 4–8 additional weeks.

In most states, the same statutory transfer tax rate applies to both residential and commercial properties. However, several important differences exist:

• NYC RPTT: Commercial properties (and residential buildings with 4+ units) pay a higher RPTT rate (2.625% for sales ≥$500K) vs. residential 1–3 family (1.425%). This is one of the largest commercial vs. residential differentials in the US.
• Mansion Tax: New York’s Mansion Tax applies only to residential transactions — commercial properties do not pay the Mansion Tax even on $10M+ sales.
• Pennsylvania: The realty transfer tax applies equally to residential and commercial, but commercial deals involving entity transfers may face CITT in addition.
• Washington DC: DC imposes different RPTT rates for residential vs. commercial, with commercial rates higher for properties above certain thresholds.

Always select the correct property type (Residential, Commercial, Vacant Land, or Co-op/Condo) in this calculator’s input — the engine applies the correct rate schedule for that property classification in your state.