Michigan Transfer Tax: How Much It Is and Who Pays
Michigan's State Real Estate Transfer Tax is $3.75 per $500 of price or fraction (0.75%): $2,025 on a $269,700 home. Cities and counties add their own; All Michigan counties (County Real Estate Transfer Tax)'s brings the total there to $2,322.
Michigan transfer tax by purchase price
| Purchase price | State tax | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,125 | $1,125 |
| $200,000 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| $250,000 | $1,875 | $1,875 |
| $300,000 | $2,250 | $2,250 |
| $350,000 | $2,625 | $2,625 |
| $400,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| $450,000 | $3,375 | $3,375 |
| $500,000 | $3,750 | $3,750 |
| $600,000 | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| $700,000 | $5,250 | $5,250 |
| $800,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $7,500 | $7,500 |
Transfer tax calculator
Who pays
Who pays the transfer tax in Michigan is negotiable in the purchase contract. Not fixed by statute. Local custom in most of Michigan, including the Detroit metro market, has the seller pay both the state and county transfer tax. Source
City and county transfer taxes in Michigan
These stack on the state tax. Open a jurisdiction for the combined figure at every price.
| Jurisdiction | Local rate | Total on a $269,700 home |
|---|---|---|
| All Michigan counties (County Real Estate Transfer Tax) | $0.55 per $500 of price or fraction (0.11%) | $2,322 |
Frequently asked questions
How much is the transfer tax in Michigan?
The state rate is $3.75 per $500 of price or fraction (0.75%), which is $2,025 on a $269,700 home; All Michigan counties (County Real Estate Transfer Tax) add a local tax on top.
Who pays the transfer tax in Michigan?
Who pays the transfer tax in Michigan is negotiable in the purchase contract. Not fixed by statute. Local custom in most of Michigan, including the Detroit metro market, has the seller pay both the state and county transfer tax. Source
Is there a mortgage or recordation tax too?
No. Michigan taxes the deed only; recording the mortgage costs a flat recording fee, not a percentage.
Are there exemptions?
Various statutory exemptions exist (transfers for no/nominal consideration, between spouses, government transfers, and a written-value exemption when the state equalized value has not increased) under MCL 207.505/207.526, but none is a general first-time-buyer or principal-residence price exemption.
Sources
- Michigan State Real Estate Transfer Tax Act, MCL 207.523 (rate confirmed via Deeds.com secondary verification; primary legislature.mi.gov pages were unreachable during research)
- Who pays
Rates as the statute or revenue department publishes them, checked 2026-09-22. Figures are computed from those rates and rounded to the dollar; exemptions for first-time buyers or principal residences are noted where they exist and are not applied. All sources.
All Michigan buyer closing costs → Michigan title insurance cost →
Figures are computed from the statute cited above and rounded to the dollar. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.
Transfer tax in every state