Illinois real estate transfer tax
Illinois's transfer tax is 0.1%, customarily seller-paid. Here's how it works, what it costs at common price points, and the statute behind it.
Illinois charges a state transfer tax of $0.50 per $500 (0.10%) plus a county tax of $0.25 per $500 (0.05%), so $0.75 per $500 (0.15%) is the typical state+county total, paid by the seller. Home-rule municipalities add their own — Chicago's combined transfer tax is far higher (the city imposes its own tax, much of it buyer-paid).
How Illinois compares nationally
0.1%, #29 of 51 nationally; at $400,000, that is $240 below the median $640 tax at $400,000. This is a data-derived comparison against the 51 source-verified state and DC transfer-tax records, with no invented rates for null-tax states.
- Rate rank
- #29 of 51
- highest state transfer-tax rate first
- Tax at $400,000
- $400
- median-state tax $640
- Dataset date
- 2026-Q2
- source-linked record
Illinois transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
What it costs at common prices
| Sale price | State transfer tax |
|---|---|
| $200,000 | $200 |
| $400,000 | $400 |
| $600,000 | $600 |
| $800,000 | $800 |
State-level only; county and city taxes may add to these figures.
Look up your transfer tax
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Frequently asked questions
What is the real estate transfer tax in Illinois?
Illinois's transfer tax is 0.1% of the sale price, customarily seller-paid. Illinois charges a state transfer tax of $0.50 per $500 (0.10%) plus a county tax of $0.25 per $500 (0.05%), so $0.75 per $500 (0.15%) is the typical state+county total, paid by the seller. Home-rule municipalities add their own — Chicago's combined transfer tax is far higher (the city imposes its own tax, much of it buyer-paid).
Who pays the transfer tax in Illinois?
In Illinois the transfer tax is customarily seller-paid, though it's negotiable in the purchase contract.
How is Illinois's transfer tax calculated?
Multiply the sale price by 0.1%. For example, on a $400,000 home that's about $400. Illinois charges a state transfer tax of $0.50 per $500 (0.10%) plus a county tax of $0.25 per $500 (0.05%), so $0.75 per $500 (0.15%) is the typical state+county total, paid by the seller. Home-rule municipalities add their own — Chicago's combined transfer tax is far higher (the city imposes its own tax, much of it buyer-paid).
Closest transfer-tax comparisons
These links are selected by nearby verified transfer-tax rates, not by a static related list.