Virginia calls the seller’s transfer tax the grantor’s tax. It is low statewide, but Northern Virginia adds two regional fees that triple it. Pick your locality below.
| Tax | Total | Seller | Buyer |
|---|
Transfer taxes equal -% of the sale price for the seller.
Who pays the transfer tax in Virginia?
Virginia splits the taxes by party. The seller pays the grantor’s tax, and the buyer pays the recordation tax. The grantor’s tax is genuinely small — $0.50 per $500, or 0.1% of the price.
Northern Virginia is the exception. The nine localities in the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority — Arlington, Fairfax County, Loudoun, Prince William, and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park — add a regional congestion relief fee and a WMATA capital fee, each $0.10 per $100. That takes the seller’s total from 0.1% to 0.3%, tripling it.
Virginia grantor and recordation tax rates
| Tax or fee | Rate | Paid by | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grantor’s tax | $0.50 per $500 (0.1%) | Seller | Statewide |
| Regional congestion relief fee | $0.10 per $100 (0.1%) | Seller | Northern Virginia |
| WMATA capital fee | $0.10 per $100 (0.1%) | Seller | Northern Virginia |
| State recordation tax | $0.25 per $100 (0.25%) | Buyer | Statewide |
| Local recordation tax | One third of the state rate | Buyer | Most localities |
Rates last verified August 18, 2026. Transfer and recordation taxes turn on details this page cannot see — exemptions, the wording of your contract, and local practice — so confirm final figures with your title company or settlement attorney before relying on them.
Transfer taxes are only part of what selling costs
Transfer taxes are the part of closing that is fixed by statute — you cannot negotiate them away. On a traditional sale they sit alongside agent commission, the repairs a buyer’s inspection turns up, and the carrying cost of every month the house sits unsold.
We buy houses in Northern Virginia for cash, as-is, and close on the date you pick. There is no agent commission, no repair list, and no financing contingency to fall through. Get a cash offer and compare it against the number this calculator just produced.