Refinance Closings

A refinance is a simpler transaction than a purchase, which is exactly why the costs deserve a closer look. Georgia's intangible recording tax changed on July 1, 2025, and on a short-term note the difference between the old rule and the new one can be several hundred dollars.

The HB 586 change most closers have not caught up with

Georgia's intangible recording tax applies only to a long-term note. Until July 1, 2025 that meant any note with principal due more than 36 months after its date. HB 586 raised that threshold to 62 months.

The practical effect: a note that is fully due inside 62 months now owes no intangible tax at all. Short-term construction loans, bridge loans and investor paper that used to be taxed frequently are not any more — and a good deal of published Georgia closing-cost material still quotes the old rule.

Run the numbers yourself on our intangible tax calculator; it shows both what you owe now and what the same loan would have cost before the change.

• $1.50 per $500 of the note, or fractional part — an effective 0.3%
• Capped at $25,000 per instrument, reached at roughly an $8.33 million note
• Zero on any note with no principal due beyond 62 months
• Imposed on the lender, customarily passed through to the borrower

What else a Georgia refinance costs

Beyond the intangible tax you will see the lender's title policy, our closing fee, a $25 recording fee per instrument under O.C.G.A. § 15-6-77, and the lender's own charges. There is no transfer tax on a refinance — that applies to the deed, and a refinance does not transfer title.

If you carry an existing owner's policy, ask us about a reissue rate on the lender's policy. It is not automatic and it is worth asking for.

Scheduling around you

Refinances rarely need everyone in one room. We accommodate evening signings and mail-away closings where the borrower's schedule requires it, and coordinate directly with the lender's closing department on funding conditions.

Common questions

Is there transfer tax on a Georgia refinance?

No. Georgia's transfer tax under O.C.G.A. § 48-6-1 is charged on the deed when title changes hands. A refinance replaces the loan, not the ownership, so no deed is recorded and no transfer tax is due.

Do I pay intangible tax again if I refinance?

Usually yes. A new long-term note generally owes intangible recording tax on its own face amount when the new security deed is recorded — unless the note is fully due within 62 months, in which case it owes nothing.

Do I need a new owner's title policy?

No. Your owner's policy stays in force for as long as you own the property. The lender will require its own policy for the new loan, and your existing owner's policy may qualify you for a reduced rate on it.