Georgia's real estate transfer tax is charged on the deed when title changes hands. Customarily the seller pays it.
Estimate for planning only. Transfer tax is set by O.C.G.A. § 48-6-1 and collected by the Clerk of Superior Court with Form PT-61. Contact The Closing Firm at (770) 506-7765 for figures on a specific transaction.
By custom the seller pays Georgia's transfer tax, and it appears as a seller debit on the settlement statement. It is a matter of contract rather than statute, so the purchase agreement controls — in a slower market a seller may agree to absorb other costs, and occasionally the parties allocate it differently.
The tax applies to the consideration paid for the property. Where a buyer takes title subject to an existing loan, or assumes one, the outstanding balance of that loan is deducted from the taxable consideration — which is what the checkbox above accounts for.
The tax is paid when the deed is recorded, using Form PT-61 filed electronically through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority.
Transfer tax is only one line. On a purchase with financing you will also see the intangible recording tax on the loan, and a flat $25 recording fee per instrument. Our seller net sheet pulls all of it together.
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