Last updated: 2026-04-25
Unsure if your lender’s transfer tax is competitive? Run a Fair Loan Check.
Benchmarked against 93,742 real New York mortgages.
| Range | Low | Typical | High | Flag Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer Tax | $0.00/thousand | $2.00/thousand | $10.00/thousand | $15.00/thousand |
Based on New York closing cost data. Median home price: $460,000. Rates shown per $1,000 of coverage or sale price.
Data source: HMDA Modified Loan Application Register 2025, published by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Statistics reflect originated first-lien purchase mortgages on owner-occupied principal residences. Medians exclude loans with exempt or unreported fee disclosures. Learn more at ffiec.cfpb.gov.
Transfer taxes (also called deed stamps, documentary stamps, or excise taxes) are taxes imposed by state, county, or city governments when real property changes hands. The tax is typically calculated as a rate per thousand dollars of the sale price. Transfer taxes appear in Section E of your Closing Disclosure.
Transfer tax rules vary enormously by state. About 13 states impose no transfer tax at all (including Texas, Indiana, and Wyoming). Others charge modest rates ($1 to $3 per thousand). A few states and cities have very high rates — New York City's combined transfer taxes can exceed 2% of the sale price.
This fee appears in Section E — Taxes and Other Government Fees of your Closing Disclosure.
The transfer tax appears at two stages of the mortgage process — each with its own audit tool.
Before closing · Loan Estimate
Fair Loan Check
You received a Loan Estimate within 3 days of applying. Use this to check whether your transfer tax and interest rate are competitive — before you commit to a lender.
From $19 · Results in 60 seconds
Analyze my Loan Estimate →3 days before closing · Closing Disclosure
Fair Closing Check
You received your Closing Disclosure 3 days before signing. Use this to audit every final fee — including the transfer tax — against New York benchmarks and get a negotiation email.
From $29 · Results in 60 seconds
Transfer taxes in New York are set by law and non-negotiable. They are customarily paid by the split. Who pays can be renegotiated in the purchase contract.
New York note
NY State transfer tax (Tax Law § 1402): $2.00 per $500 ($4.00 per $1,000, 0.4%) on all conveyances over $500 — applies statewide. NYC surcharge (effective July 1, 2019): additional $1.25 per $500 (0.25%) on NYC residential property conveyed for $3,000,000 or more, making the combined NYS rate $6.50 per $1,000 (0.65%) for those sales. NYC Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT) — residential (1–3 family, condos, co-ops): 1.0% for sales up to $500,000; 1.425% for sales over $500,000. Note: the 2.625% RPTT rate applies only to commercial/other property over $500K, NOT to residential. NYC mansion tax (buyer pays): 1.0% on purchases $1,000,000–$1,999,999; 1.25% on $2,000,000–$2,999,999; 1.50% on $3,000,000–$4,999,999; 2.25% on $5,000,000–$9,999,999; 3.25% on $10,000,000–$14,999,999; 3.50% on $15,000,000–$19,999,999; 3.75% on $20,000,000–$24,999,999; 3.90% on $25,000,000+. Mansion tax applies to the full purchase price once a threshold is crossed (not marginal). NYC mortgage recording tax (MRT): gross rate 2.05% on mortgages under $500,000; 2.175% on residential mortgages $500,000+ (lender pays 0.25% of MRT, so effective buyer cost is 1.80% under $500K and 1.925% at $500K+). Outside NYC, MRT typically 1.0%–1.3% depending on county. In NYC: NYS transfer tax and RPTT traditionally paid by the seller (buyer pays in new development/sponsor sales by contract convention). Mansion tax paid by the buyer. MRT paid by the buyer. The mansion tax is not marginal — crossing a threshold costs the full percentage on the entire price, not just the excess. Co-ops are exempt from MRT (share loans are not mortgages on real property). Outside NYC: NYS transfer tax ($4.00/K, 0.4%) typically paid by seller; no county-level transfer taxes exist outside NYC.
Upload your Closing Disclosure to see if your transfer tax is fair
Every fee is cross-referenced against New York benchmarks. Results in 60 seconds.
Transfer tax rate doesn't match the published state or county rate for your jurisdiction
Transfer tax charged in a state that has no transfer tax
Buyer is being charged a transfer tax that is customarily paid by the seller in that state
City or county transfer tax is missing when the jurisdiction imposes one
See these red flags on your CD? Don't sign yet.
Upload your Closing Disclosure and every line item is audited against New York benchmarks — in 60 seconds.
From $29 · Results in 60 seconds
No. About 13 states have no transfer tax at any level — including Texas, Indiana, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, Alaska, Louisiana, and Oregon.
It depends on the state and the contract. In many states, the seller customarily pays. In others, it's the buyer or split. The purchase contract can override local custom, so check your agreement.
The tax rate itself cannot be negotiated — it's set by law. But who pays it can be negotiated in the purchase contract. Some buyers successfully negotiate for the seller to cover transfer taxes as a concession.
You have 3 days to review your Closing Disclosure.
Federal law gives you 72 hours to push back before you sign. Every fee is cross-referenced against New York benchmarks and the negotiation email is drafted for you.
Most buyers find $1,500–$3,000 in negotiable fees.
From $29· Results in 60 seconds