Selling or buying a home in Virginia means paying several small transfer taxes at closing, split between the grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer). They are easy to underestimate because they come in pieces: a state grantor tax, a state recordation tax, a local recordation tax, and — in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads — extra regional transportation taxes. This calculator adds them all up so you can see your real closing-tax bill.
How it works
Virginia’s transfer taxes are charged per increment of the sale price (or assessed value, whichever is greater):
- State grantor tax — 50 cents per
$500, i.e.0.1%of price, paid by the seller. - State recordation (deed) tax — 25 cents per
$100, i.e.0.25%of price, normally paid by the buyer. - Local recordation tax — one-third of the state recordation tax (about
0.0833%), collected by the city or county. - Regional congestion-relief taxes — in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, an additional grantor’s tax of 15 cents per
$100(0.15%) and an additional regional recordation tax of 15 cents per$100(0.15%).
Each component is computed from the price and then assigned to the seller or buyer column.
Example and notes
For a $500,000 home outside a regional district, the seller pays the 0.1% grantor tax ($500) and the buyer pays the 0.25% state plus ~0.0833% local recordation tax (about $1,667). Add the regional taxes inside Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads and the totals rise noticeably.
These rates cover the bulk of Virginia’s transfer-tax burden but not flat clerk recording fees, which are charged per page. The figures are estimates; confirm exact amounts with your settlement agent, and remember some transfers (spousal gifts, certain trust transfers) are exempt entirely.