Delaware transfer tax
Official source data 2026-10-01
On a $400,000 residential purchase in Delaware
$16,000
modeled deed & transfer taxes
Combined 4% assumes a 1.5% county/municipal levy plus 2.5% state tax. First-time-buyer relief is excluded.
Check the tax on your price.
Where the tax goes.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base deed / transfer taxes | $16,000 |
| Selected local deed taxes | $0 |
| Buyer statutory surcharges | $0 |
| Seller statutory surcharges | $0 |
| Total modeled transfer taxes | $16,000 |
The buyer and seller can negotiate many expenses. This calculation excludes lender credits, seller concessions, prorated rent, HOA charges, inspections, repairs, and any mortgage taxes not in the stated deed-tax scope.
Delaware rules and assumptions.
Transfer-tax scope
Combined 4% assumes a 1.5% county/municipal levy plus 2.5% state tax. First-time-buyer relief is excluded.
Settlement & title
Budget for a Delaware attorney conducting a sale or refinancing closing. The court system's summary of the 2000 Mid-Atlantic decision also requires attorney involvement in the legal documents, title and settlement work. It describes a limited home-equity exception for a lender acting for itself without title-exception evaluation. Confirm whether the exception applies before relying on it and obtain the attorney's quote.
Read the official legal-services guidance
The Department of Insurance's September 2010 Bulletin 27 explains title rate/form filings by rating-bureau and other insurers. It is filing context, not today's transaction quote. Request the current policy, endorsements and separate attorney/settlement fees.
Recording fees
New Castle County's posted fee table is a county example with older effective-date references. Confirm the recorder's current document, page, parcel and technology charges before using it for a closing.
Good questions. Clear answers.
How much are closing costs in Delaware?
For the entered $400,000 price, this scenario produces $17,750 of buyer costs and $28,500 of seller costs. The fees are adjustable allowances; only the cited taxes follow the selected statutory scope.
Who pays the transfer tax?
The default allocation follows the state scenario shown above. The closing-cost tool lets you change the contractual deed-tax allocation; statutory buyer or seller surcharges retain their separate payer.
Is the down payment a closing cost?
It is not a service fee. This tool shows $80,000 as the down payment and $97,750 as total estimated buyer cash to close.
Are the title and attorney fees official state rates?
The defaults are planning allowances, not published title-policy quotes. Enter the applicable insurance or title-guaranty quote and the closing professional’s quote. Policy type, endorsements, loan size and reissue discounts can change the cost. Set the title payer to match your contract; use the additional buyer amount for coverage excluded from the percentage allowance.
How do I calculate seller net proceeds?
Subtract seller closing costs and the entered mortgage payoff from the sale price. Here that gives $371,500. Capital-gains tax, repair credits and other liens are excluded.
Check the source.
Data as of 2026-10-01. Retrieved .
- delcode.delaware.gov / index.html
- www.consumerfinance.gov / closing-disclosure As of 2026-10-02
- www.consumerfinance.gov / loan-estimate As of 2026-10-02
- courts.delaware.gov / download.aspx As of 2026-10-02
- insurance.delaware.gov / formbull27.pdf As of 2026-10-02
- www.newcastlede.gov / 69 As of 2026-10-02