What is the Maine real estate transfer tax rate?

Maine charges $2.20 for every $500 of the sale price, which works out to $4.40 per $1,000 or 0.44% of the price. The price is rounded up to the next full $500 before the rate is applied.

Who pays the transfer tax in Maine?

Maine splits the transfer tax equally between the buyer and the seller. Each party pays half, or $1.10 per $500 of the price, though the parties can agree to a different split in the purchase contract.

Is the Maine transfer tax based on price or assessed value?

It is based on the consideration paid — usually the sale price stated on the deed — not the town's assessed value. For gifts or nominal-price transfers, the fair market value may be used instead.

Are any Maine property transfers exempt?

Yes. Certain transfers are exempt, such as those between spouses, gifts with no consideration, transfers to or from a wholly owned entity, and deeds correcting a prior deed. Exemptions are listed in Maine Title 36 and claimed on the transfer tax declaration.

How does Maine collect the transfer tax?

The tax is paid to the county Register of Deeds when the deed is recorded, using a Real Estate Transfer Tax Declaration. The register collects both halves and remits the state's share, so it is settled at closing.

Maine Real Estate Transfer Tax Calculator

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When a home changes hands in Maine, the state collects a real estate transfer tax on the deed. It is a modest rate, but on a typical house it still runs into the hundreds of dollars, and it is normally split between buyer and seller. This calculator shows the total and each side’s share.

How it works

Maine charges 2.20 dollars for every 500 dollars of the sale price. The price is first rounded up to the next full 500 dollars, then the rate applies, and the result is divided equally between the two parties:

rounded = ceil(price / 500) * 500
total_tax = (rounded / 500) * $2.20      (= 0.44% of rounded price)
buyer_share = seller_share = total_tax / 2

That equals 4.40 dollars per 1,000 dollars, or 0.44 percent of the price. Each party’s default share is 1.10 dollars per 500 dollars.

Example

On a 350,000 dollar home, the price is already a multiple of 500. The total transfer tax is 350,000 divided by 500, times 2.20, which is 1,540 dollars. The buyer and seller each owe half, or 770 dollars.

Notes

This estimate uses the standard statewide rate and the default 50/50 split. Exempt transfers (spousal, gifts, entity transfers, corrective deeds) owe no tax, and contracts can reassign who pays. The tax is collected at recording by the county Register of Deeds. Confirm with maine.gov/revenue and your closing agent.