Who pays transfer taxes? | When are transfer taxes paid? | Methodology
Virginia's current transfer tax rate is $3.50 per $1,000. So, for a house worth $377,699 — the median home price in the state — the transfer tax due will be $472. Cities throughout the state may impose an additional transfer tax, especially cities in Northern Virginia.
The specifics on who pays the transfer tax in Virginia are sometimes up for negotiation, but usually the buyer and seller split the cost.
Clever Real Estate can help you cut costs here — our concierge team will partner you with an experienced agent who can help you negotiate a good deal with your buyer on transfer taxes. Not to mention, you'll save big by paying only 1.5% in commission, which is much lower than the state average of 2.72%.
You can't change transfer tax rates. But, an experienced Clever Real Estate agent can help you win the negotiation battle so you aren't stuck paying all of the transfer taxes on your own.
When you choose Clever, you'll work with a full-service realtor with transfer tax expertise in your local market.
Clever's service is totally free, with zero obligation — you can walk away at any time.
What taxes will you have to pay on your real estate transaction in Virginia? Let's take a closer look at how Virginia real estate transfer taxes work and how much you can expect to pay.
What are real estate transfer taxes?
It comes as no surprise that taxes factor into real estate transactions as well. Most people are probably aware of capital gains taxes that the seller may have to pay depending on the profits of the sale.
However, there's another type of tax that must also be paid in most states. The real estate transfer tax goes by many names. The deed tax, mortgage registry tax, stamp tax — to name a few.
Whatever it's called, it's levied by the state and possibly the county or municipality where the property is located whenever it changes hands. The amount you'll pay varies widely as the rules in each state are all over the map.
Let's look at what you can expect from Virginia real estate transfer taxes.
Who pays transfer taxes in Virginia: The buyer or the seller?
As with most things in a real estate contract, who pays the transfer taxes is up for negotiation. However, in Virginia, there is a typical way that it happens.
The state of Virginia actually charges several transfer taxes. Three of them are considered deed transfer taxes and the other two are recordation taxes. We'll get into how much those will cost in just a moment.
The buyer typically pays the state transfer tax as well as the county or city taxes if applicable. The buyer also pays the recordation taxes or "mortgage stamps." The buyer needs one stamp from the state and one from the city or county.
The state of Virginia also charges the seller a separate transfer tax. This is called a grantor tax.
How much are transfer taxes in Virginia?
How much does this all add up to? Let's take a look at typical charges.
The grantor tax that the state charges the seller is $1 for every $1,000 of the sale price, or roughly 0.1%. In some areas in Northern Virginia, an additional $0.15 is charged per $100, or roughly 0.15%.
The state transfer tax that the buyer has to pay is $2.50 for every $1,000 in the sale price, or 0.25%. If there is also a local county or city tax, this amount is usually equal to one third of the state tax. The mortgage recordation fees are taxed at the same rates, but on the amount of the loan rather than the sale price.
Needless to say, transfer taxes in Virginia are a hefty closing cost. You need to be prepared for that.
While you can't skip out on paying your taxes, there are other ways to save on costs during a home sale or purchase. For example, if you use a Clever agent to sell your house, you'll pay just 1.5% in listing fees — compared to the national average of 3%.
And if you're buying a house, you can get cash back after your sale goes through.
When all's said and done, the money you save by using Clever should more than pay for your Virginia transfer tax fees!
Can you deduct Virginia transfer taxes?
You may already be aware that property taxes are deductible when it comes to doing your taxes each April. Naturally, you may then be wondering if transfer taxes offer the same benefits.
Unfortunately, they don't. But if you are the seller there is one way you can use transfer taxes to your advantage at tax time. You can use them to reduce the amount upon which you have to pay capital gains taxes.
Many people don't have to pay capital gains taxes because of the $250,000 exclusion ($500,000 for married couples). What does that mean? Simply put, $250,000 (or $500,000) of your profit is not taxable if you meet the exclusion requirements.
How is profit calculated? Take the price that you paid for the home and add to it the cost of any improvements you've made over the years. This is called your cost basis. Your profit is determined by subtracting the cost basis from the sale price.
So how do transfer taxes help? You can add the amount that you pay in transfer taxes to your cost basis, thus reducing the amount of taxable profit.
When do you pay transfer taxes in Virginia?
Keep in mind that transfer taxes are typically paid by both parties at the time of closing. As the seller, you can take it out of the sale price of the home (as long as you made enough profit). As a buyer, though, you'll have to be prepared for that extra amount you'll have to pay in closing costs.
Note: if capital gains taxes are due for the seller, these will be paid at tax time and not at closing.
Virginia transfer taxes summary
We've provided you with a general idea here, but the specifics of transfer taxes vary by location. It's always best to consult with a local expert to know exactly what to expect.
An experienced, local real estate agent is the perfect resource. Whether you're planning to buy or sell a home, having a real estate agent is invaluable not only for figuring out transfer taxes but also during the entire process.
They'll know exactly how transfer tax works in your area — including whether or not you have to pay an additional city or county tax. The right agent might also be able to negotiate your share of taxes so you end up paying less overall.
We’ll partner you with a local real estate agent who knows how to deal with the state’s tax and helps negotiate a deal in your favor. What’s more, our agents charge only a 1.5% listing fee compared to the state average of 2.72%! The money you'll save can more than offset the cost of the transfer taxes.
» SAVE: Learn more about how a Clever agent can help you navigate Virginia transfer taxes
Methodology
- Transfer tax amounts are based on government website information as of February 2024.
- We gathered our listing commission rate data from a December 2023 survey of 630 of our partner agents.
- Home values, list prices, and sale prices are based on Zillow data as of February 2024.
