Calculators
Michigan Transfer Tax Calculator
Every Michigan home sale carries a transfer tax: $3.75 for the state and $0.55 for the county on each $500 of the price, paid by the seller.* Enter the price to see each part.
- State and county tax, worked out
- Sent to Samantha only if you choose
What is the transfer tax on your sale?
Michigan charges a state tax of $3.75 and a county tax of $0.55 on every $500 of the sale price, and the seller pays it.* Enter the price to see each part. Your numbers are not sent unless you choose to send them to Samantha.
Enter the sale price to see the transfer tax.
* In Michigan the seller pays the transfer tax. State law makes the seller liable for both the state and county tax (MCL 207.523), and it is normally paid at closing from the seller's proceeds. A purchase agreement can say otherwise, so check yours.
This is arithmetic on the price you entered, using the rates in MCL 207.525 (state) and MCL 207.504 (county). It is not a quote. Your title company prepares the settlement statement, which is the figure that counts. Align Lending LLC, NMLS #2041154. Equal Housing Opportunity.
How it works
Three things that decide the number
Counted in $500 steps
The price is counted in steps of $500, and any part of a step counts as a whole one. A $300,200 sale is 601 steps, not 600.4.
One county rate across Michigan
The law lets a county of 2 million people or more charge up to 75 cents per $500. No Michigan county is that large today, so every county, Wayne included, charges 55 cents.
An exemption for some sellers
The state portion is not owed when the home was the seller's principal residence, its state equalized value is no higher than when they bought it, and it sells at an arm's-length price. The county portion still applies.
Questions about Michigan's transfer tax
If yours is not here, send Samantha the price and she will walk through it with you.
Who pays the transfer tax in Michigan?
The seller. Michigan law makes the seller liable for both the state and the county tax (MCL 207.523), and it is normally paid at closing from the seller’s proceeds. A purchase agreement can say otherwise, so check yours.
Does the buyer pay any transfer tax?
Not under the law, which puts both taxes on the seller. A buyer pays only if the purchase agreement shifts it to them.
When is it paid?
At closing. The title company collects it on the settlement statement before the deed is recorded with the county.
Is Wayne County’s rate different?
No. A county needs 2 million people or more to charge the higher rate, and no Michigan county has that many, so Wayne charges 55 cents per $500 like every other county.
How do I get the state portion back?
If you qualify for the principal residence exemption and the state tax was collected at closing anyway, you can apply to the Michigan Department of Treasury for a refund with your closing statement. How the exemption works.
Keep going
Selling one home and buying the next
Seller net sheet
What the whole sale leaves you after the payoff, commissions, closing costs and this tax.
Seller net sheetBuy Before You Sell
When you need to buy the next home and sell this one, and the order matters.
Buy Before You SellProperty tax after you buy
The next home's tax after the reset, from its published millage.
Property tax after you buyAll calculators
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Guides on selling
Seller's closing costs
What comes out of the sale at closing, from commissions to title fees and transfer tax.
Seller's closing costsThe finances of selling
What selling a home costs and how to work out what you keep.
The finances of sellingSelling a home
The steps, the costs and the timeline, from listing to closing.
Selling a homeAlign Lending LLC, NMLS #2041154, is a mortgage broker. Samantha Shelton, NMLS 1647301. Equal Housing Opportunity. Licensed in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. The calculator shows arithmetic on the price you enter, using the rates in Michigan law and our transfer tax guide. Your title company prepares the settlement statement. It is not a quote, an offer of credit, or tax or legal advice.
* In Michigan the seller pays the transfer tax: state law makes the seller liable for both the state and county tax (MCL 207.523). A purchase agreement can shift it.
