Free tool

    Land transfer tax calculator

    Estimate transfer tax, registration and total acquisition cost on a property purchase — in any market, at any rate.

    Purchase details

    Varies by market and often by price band — check your local rate.

    Fixed fees charged by the land registry.

    Set to 0 where the seller pays commission.

    Result

    Transfer tax

    $20,000

    Total acquisition costs
    $25,000
    Costs as % of price
    5.00%
    Total cash required
    $525,000

    Indicative only. Excludes taxes and fees, which vary by market.

    What land transfer tax is

    Land transfer tax — also called transfer duty, stamp duty, registration tax or conveyance duty depending on where you are — is a one-off government charge on the transfer of property ownership. It is normally paid by the buyer at completion, calculated as a percentage of the purchase price, and it is not recoverable.

    Because it is paid up front and never returned, it belongs in every yield and return calculation as part of the capital invested. Investors who compare gross yields across markets without adjusting for acquisition costs routinely misjudge which market is actually the better buy.

    Why the rate is an input, not a preset

    We deliberately ask you for the rate rather than guessing it. Transfer tax varies not just between countries but between regions of the same country, and it frequently uses progressive bands where different slices of the price are taxed at different rates. Rates also change with government budgets, often at short notice.

    A calculator that hardcodes rates looks more convenient and is quietly wrong within a year. Look up the current rate for your market and band, enter it, and the arithmetic here is reliable.

    • Rates commonly differ by region within one country
    • Many markets use progressive bands rather than a flat rate
    • First-time buyer and non-resident rates often differ
    • Commercial and residential property are frequently taxed differently
    • Budgets change rates, sometimes mid-year

    The other acquisition costs

    Transfer tax is the largest line but rarely the only one. Registration fees are usually fixed or capped. Legal and conveyancing costs depend on complexity. In some markets the buyer pays agency commission, in others the seller does — and in a few, both sides pay.

    Where a mortgage is involved there are further costs: arrangement fees, valuation, and in some jurisdictions a separate registration charge on the mortgage itself. Add those to the total before deciding what cash you need at completion.

    Using this with buyers

    Acquisition costs are the single most common source of unpleasant surprise for cross-border buyers, who often assume their home market's cost structure applies. Setting the expectation early — total cash required, not just the price — builds more trust than any amount of marketing, and prevents a deal collapsing at completion.

    This is an estimate for planning. Confirm the applicable rate and any exemptions with a local lawyer or notary before a client commits.

    Keep acquisition costs on the deal record

    Recording the real cost structure against each deal means yields and investor reporting reflect what a buyer actually pays, not the headline price. RealEstateCRM.io tracks it per market, in the currency the deal is done in.

    See deal management

    Run the numbers on your real pipeline

    These tools work on one deal at a time. RealEstateCRM.io tracks them across your whole portfolio — yields, commissions, forecasts and reporting from the deals already in your CRM.

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