Florida Real Estate Transfer Tax: Doc Stamps, Who Pays, and Taxes When You Sell
Florida doesn't call it a transfer tax, but every sale and every mortgage pays one. Here's what documentary stamps and the intangible tax cost, who customarily pays them, and what taxes to expect when you sell your home.
Short answer: how much is the transfer tax in Florida?
Florida charges documentary stamp tax of $0.70 per $100 of the sale price on the deed, or 0.7%, everywhere except Miami-Dade County. The seller customarily pays it. If the buyer takes out a mortgage, the buyer typically pays two more taxes on the loan amount: $0.35 per $100 in doc stamps on the note (0.35%) and a 0.2% intangible tax. On a $450,000 sale, that's $3,150 for the seller. A buyer with a $360,000 loan pays another $1,980.
Florida Documentary Stamp Tax and Intangible Tax Rates
| Tax | Rate | Based on | Customarily paid by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doc stamps on the deed | $0.70 per $100 | Sale price, rounded up to the next $100 | Seller |
| Doc stamps on the deed, Miami-Dade single-family home | $0.60 per $100 | Sale price | Seller |
| Doc stamps on the deed, Miami-Dade other property | $1.05 per $100 | Sale price ($0.60 plus $0.45 surtax) | Seller |
| Doc stamps on the mortgage note | $0.35 per $100 | Loan amount | Buyer (borrower) |
| Intangible tax on the mortgage | $0.20 per $100 | Loan amount | Buyer (borrower) |
Rates set by the Florida Department of Revenue. Paying for cash? The buyer owes no mortgage doc stamps or intangible tax.
Who pays is a custom, not a law. Florida law makes the doc stamp tax due on the deed and the note, but the purchase contract decides who actually pays. Under the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract, the seller pays the deed doc stamps and the buyer pays the taxes on the mortgage. It's negotiable, and in a buyer's market sellers sometimes agree to cover more.
Florida Doc Stamp Calculator
Enter the sale price and loan amount to see the state taxes due at closing and who customarily pays each one.
Estimate only. Doesn't include title insurance, recording fees or other closing costs. Your title company calculates the final figures.
What Buyers Pay: Doc Stamps and Intangible Tax on Your Mortgage
This is the part most transfer tax guides skip. If you finance your purchase, Florida taxes the loan itself, and those taxes show up on your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure. Together they add 0.55% of your loan amount to your closing costs.
| Loan amount | Mortgage doc stamps (0.35%) | Intangible tax (0.2%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $875 | $500 | $1,375 |
| $360,000 | $1,260 | $720 | $1,980 |
| $500,000 | $1,750 | $1,000 | $2,750 |
| $800,000 | $2,800 | $1,600 | $4,400 |
A bigger down payment lowers it
These taxes are based on the loan, not the price. Every $10,000 less you borrow saves $55 in state taxes at closing.
Refinances and HELOCs pay them too
A new mortgage, refinance or home equity line generally owes doc stamps and intangible tax on the new loan, which is why they appear on refinance closing costs as well.
Seller credits can cover them
Seller concessions can be applied to your closing costs, including these taxes, within your loan program's limits. That's worth negotiating when the market allows it.
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Who Pays What at a Florida Closing?
Transfer taxes are only part of the picture. Here's how the common costs are typically divided in Central Florida. Every item is negotiable in the contract.
| Cost | Seller typically pays | Buyer typically pays |
|---|---|---|
| Doc stamps on the deed | Yes | |
| Doc stamps and intangible tax on the mortgage | Yes | |
| Owner's title insurance policy | Yes, in most of Florida including Orange, Lake, Osceola and Seminole | Yes, in Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota and Collier |
| Lender's title insurance policy | Yes | |
| Recording the deed and mortgage | Yes | |
| Real estate commissions | Negotiated | Negotiated |
| HOA estoppel letter | Usually | |
| Property taxes for the year | Share from January 1 to closing | Share from closing to December 31 |
Florida property taxes are paid in arrears. The bill for the current year isn't due until November, so at closing the seller credits the buyer for the days the seller owned the home that year. Buyers then pay the full bill in November. Sellers sometimes miss this line when they estimate their net proceeds. For how the tax bill itself changes after a sale, see Florida property taxes after you buy or sell.
Taxes on Selling a House in Florida
Florida has no state income tax, so there's no state capital gains tax on your sale. What you'll deal with is the deed doc stamps at closing, the federal capital gains rules, and what happens to your property tax savings.
1. Deed doc stamps at closing
0.7% of the sale price ($3,150 on a $450,000 sale), deducted from your proceeds by the title company. Along with commissions and title insurance, it's one of your biggest selling costs.
2. Federal capital gains tax
Most homeowners owe nothing thanks to the primary residence exclusion below. Profit above the exclusion is taxed at federal long-term rates if you owned the home more than a year.
3. Your Save Our Homes savings
Selling ends the cap on your current home, but if you buy another Florida homestead within about three years, you can port up to $500,000 of that savings. How portability works →
4. No Florida estate or inheritance tax
Florida doesn't levy either one. Inherited homes generally get a stepped-up cost basis for federal purposes, which can greatly reduce capital gains when heirs sell.
The $250,000 / $500,000 home sale exclusion
If you owned your home and lived in it as your main residence for at least two of the five years before the sale, you can exclude up to $250,000 of profit from federal income tax, or $500,000 if you're married filing jointly. You can generally use the exclusion once every two years.
Your profit is the sale price minus your selling costs (commissions, doc stamps, title and similar), minus what you paid for the home and the cost of permanent improvements like a new roof, pool or kitchen remodel. Keep those receipts.
Example: selling a Winter Garden home you've lived in for 8 years
| Detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale price | $550,000 |
| Selling costs (commissions, doc stamps, title, other) | − $38,000 |
| Original purchase price | − $300,000 |
| Improvements (pool, roof) | − $60,000 |
| Profit (gain) | $152,000 |
| Exclusion, single filer | − $250,000 |
| Taxable gain | $0 |
Illustrative only. Figures are rounded examples, not estimates for a specific property.
If part of your gain is taxable: 2026 federal long-term capital gains rates
| Rate | Single filers (taxable income) | Married filing jointly (taxable income) |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | Up to $49,450 | Up to $98,900 |
| 15% | $49,451 to $545,500 | $98,901 to $613,700 |
| 20% | Over $545,500 | Over $613,700 |
Higher earners may also owe the 3.8% net investment income tax on taxable gain. Homes held a year or less are taxed at ordinary income rates.
Rental or investment property
The home sale exclusion doesn't apply to a property you didn't live in. Depreciation you took is recaptured at up to 25%, and a 1031 exchange may let you defer the tax by buying another investment property.
Foreign sellers
If the seller isn't a U.S. person, federal FIRPTA rules generally require the buyer's closing agent to withhold 15% of the sale price, with limited exceptions.
Form 1099-S
The title company may report the sale to the IRS. Even when your gain is fully excluded, keep your closing statement and improvement records with your tax files.
Selling and buying your next Florida home?
I'll map out your move: your proceeds, how much of your Save Our Homes savings you can port, and what your next payment looks like, including bridge and HELOC options if you want to buy before you sell.
When Florida Doc Stamps Don't Apply
Doc stamps are based on consideration, meaning what's paid for the property. Some transfers owe little or nothing:
Transfers between spouses
Deeds between spouses, including adding a spouse to title, are generally exempt unless there's an outstanding mortgage the new owner takes on.
Transfers into your revocable trust
Moving your home into a revocable living trust where you're the beneficiary is typically exempt.
Gifts with no mortgage
A true gift of a free-and-clear property involves no consideration. If the property has a mortgage, doc stamps are owed on the mortgage balance.
Assumed mortgages
When a buyer assumes an existing loan, no new intangible tax is due on the assumed balance, though deed doc stamps still apply to the full price.
Exemptions have specific conditions. Confirm with a Florida real estate attorney or title company before recording any deed.
Florida Transfer Tax FAQ
Does Florida have a real estate transfer tax?
Yes. Florida's version is the documentary stamp tax. It's $0.70 per $100 of the sale price on the deed, or 0.7%, in every county except Miami-Dade, where it's $0.60 per $100 for single-family homes and $1.05 per $100 for other property.
Who pays doc stamps in Florida, the buyer or the seller?
By custom and under the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract, the seller pays the doc stamps on the deed, and the buyer pays the doc stamps and intangible tax on their mortgage. It's negotiable in the purchase contract.
How much are doc stamps on a $400,000 house in Florida?
$2,800 on the deed outside Miami-Dade. If the buyer finances $320,000, they'd also pay $1,120 in mortgage doc stamps and $640 in intangible tax.
What is the intangible tax on a Florida mortgage?
A one-time state tax of 0.2% of the loan amount, paid at closing on new mortgages, including refinances. The borrower customarily pays it.
Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell my house in Florida?
There's no Florida state capital gains tax. For federal taxes, most homeowners who lived in the home at least two of the last five years can exclude up to $250,000 of profit, or $500,000 if married filing jointly. Only profit above that is taxed.
Are closing costs tax deductible when I sell?
Selling costs like commissions, doc stamps and title charges aren't deducted on their own, but they reduce your gain because they're subtracted from the sale price when you calculate profit.
Do I pay doc stamps on a refinance?
Generally yes. A refinance creates a new note and mortgage, so doc stamps (0.35%) and intangible tax (0.2%) are usually due on the new loan amount. Your Loan Estimate will show them.
More Florida Property Tax Guides
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I'm Brandt Myers, a mortgage broker based in Winter Garden. I compare loan options from multiple wholesale lenders for your purchase, refinance or investment, and I always show you the full picture, taxes and closing costs included.
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This page is for general educational purposes and isn't tax, legal or accounting advice, and I'm not a tax advisor. Doc stamp and intangible tax rates are set by the Florida Department of Revenue; your title company calculates the final amounts. Capital gains rules and thresholds are federal and change annually; consult a CPA or tax professional about your sale. Brandt Myers, NMLS #2030154 | Mountain Goat Mortgage LLC, Company NMLS #2547079 | Licensed in FL & PA. Equal Housing Opportunity. All loans subject to credit approval. This is not a commitment to lend.