State guide · VA
Transfer tax in Virginia
Virginia charges roughly 0.35% when a home changes hands — about $1,400 on a median-priced home, customarily paid by buyer pays recordation; seller pays grantor's tax.
Rate
0.35%
On a median home
$1,400
Customarily paid by
Buyer
State recordation tax of 0.25% (buyer) plus grantor's tax of 0.1% (seller), plus regional additions in Northern Virginia.
Transfer taxes are one line of the larger closing bill. For the full picture in Virginia — title, escrow, attorney conventions, and typical buyer costs — see our Virginia closing costs guide, or estimate your own bottom line with the seller net proceeds calculator.
How Virginia compares
| Rank | State | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| #17 | South Carolina | 0.37% |
| #18 | Tennessee | 0.37% |
| #19 | Virginia | 0.35% |
| #20 | Arkansas | 0.33% |
| #21 | Minnesota | 0.33% |
Common questions
Does Virginia have a real estate transfer tax?
Yes. State recordation tax of 0.25% (buyer) plus grantor's tax of 0.1% (seller), plus regional additions in Northern Virginia. On a median-priced Virginia home (about $400,000), that's roughly $1,400.
Who pays the transfer tax in Virginia?
Buyer pays recordation; seller pays grantor's tax. Like every closing cost, this is custom rather than law — the purchase contract can assign it to either side, and in competitive negotiations it sometimes moves.
Selling in Virginia? See what you'd keep
Sale price minus commissions, payoff, and taxes like this one — the number that actually lands in your account.
Open the net proceeds calculatorRates are representative combined state and typical local figures compiled from public sources and rounded for readability; graduated schedules, exemptions, and city add-ons can change your number. Confirm with your closing agent or county recorder. Median home values are approximate.