How much is the real estate transfer tax in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin charges a Real Estate Transfer Fee of $3.00 for every $1,000 of value conveyed, which is 0.30%. On a $350,000 home that is about $1,050. The value is rounded up to the next $100 for the computation.

Who pays the transfer fee in Wisconsin?

By convention the seller, called the grantor, pays the transfer fee at closing, though the parties can negotiate who covers it. The fee is collected by the county Register of Deeds when the deed is recorded.

What transfers are exempt from the Wisconsin fee?

Many conveyances are exempt, including gifts with no consideration, transfers between spouses, parent-to-child transfers, deeds that correct a prior conveyance, certain government transfers, and any transfer of value under $1,000.

Does Wisconsin have a separate mortgage or county transfer tax?

No. Wisconsin levies a single statewide transfer fee at $3.00 per $1,000. The county retains a share of what it collects, but there is no additional separate county or city transfer tax layered on top of the state fee.

Is the transfer fee the same as capital gains tax?

No. The transfer fee is a one-time charge on recording the deed, based on the sale price. Capital gains tax is a separate income tax on your profit from the sale and is calculated on the gain, not the full price.

Wisconsin Real Estate Transfer Tax Calculator

Email me this result

Get this tool's output sent to your inbox, plus one useful tool a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Selling property in Wisconsin triggers a one-time Real Estate Transfer Fee when the deed is recorded. The rate is simple and statewide, but several common transfers are fully exempt. This calculator applies the rate and flags exemptions.

How it works

The fee is a flat rate on the value conveyed:

Value     = sale price, rounded up to the next $100
Fee       = $3.00 × (value ÷ $1,000), each $1,000 or fraction counted
Effective = 0.30% of value

Wisconsin charges 3 dollars for every full or partial 1,000 dollars of value. Transfers under 1,000 dollars owe nothing, and exempt categories — gifts, spousal, parent-to-child, and deed corrections among them — are not charged at all.

Example

On a 350,000 dollar home sale, the fee is 350 units of 1,000 dollars times 3 dollars, or 1,050 dollars, normally paid by the seller. If instead the property were gifted to a child, the transfer would be exempt and the fee would be zero.

Notes

The seller customarily pays, but this is negotiable in the purchase agreement. The county Register of Deeds collects the fee at recording and keeps a portion. Wisconsin has no separate county or municipal transfer tax on top of the state fee. Because exemption rules are detailed, confirm whether yours qualifies at revenue.wi.gov before relying on a zero result.