Pennsylvania real estate transfer tax
Pennsylvania's transfer tax is 1%, customarily split-paid. Here's how it works, what it costs at common price points, and the statute behind it.
Pennsylvania charges a 1% state Realty Transfer Tax, and almost every municipality and school district adds a local 1% (so 2% total is typical, and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are higher). By long-standing custom buyer and seller split the tax 50/50, though it's negotiable. Philadelphia's combined rate is about 4.278%.
How Pennsylvania compares nationally
1%, #4 of 51 nationally; at $400,000, that is $3,360 above 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
- #4 of 51
- highest state transfer-tax rate first
- Tax at $400,000
- $4,000
- median-state tax $640
- Dataset date
- 2026-Q2
- source-linked record
Pennsylvania 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 | $2,000 |
| $400,000 | $4,000 |
| $600,000 | $6,000 |
| $800,000 | $8,000 |
State-level only; county and city taxes may add to these figures.
Recent Pennsylvania rule changes
Selected from the source-cited rule-change dataset by this state slug.
Look up your transfer tax
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Frequently asked questions
What is the real estate transfer tax in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's transfer tax is 1% of the sale price, customarily split-paid. Pennsylvania charges a 1% state Realty Transfer Tax, and almost every municipality and school district adds a local 1% (so 2% total is typical, and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are higher). By long-standing custom buyer and seller split the tax 50/50, though it's negotiable. Philadelphia's combined rate is about 4.278%.
Who pays the transfer tax in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania the transfer tax is customarily split-paid, though it's negotiable in the purchase contract.
How is Pennsylvania's transfer tax calculated?
Multiply the sale price by 1%. For example, on a $400,000 home that's about $4,000. Pennsylvania charges a 1% state Realty Transfer Tax, and almost every municipality and school district adds a local 1% (so 2% total is typical, and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are higher). By long-standing custom buyer and seller split the tax 50/50, though it's negotiable. Philadelphia's combined rate is about 4.278%.
Closest transfer-tax comparisons
These links are selected by nearby verified transfer-tax rates, not by a static related list.