Washington real estate transfer tax
Washington's transfer tax is 1.28%, customarily seller-paid. Here's how it works, what it costs at common price points, and the statute behind it.
Washington's Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) is graduated by price: roughly 1.10% up to $525k, 1.28% from $525k to $1.525M, 2.75% from $1.525M to $3.025M, and 3.00% above $3.025M (state portion), plus a local REET of 0.25%–0.50%. The seller pays. Washington has no state income tax, but REET is a meaningful closing cost.
How Washington compares nationally
1.28%, #2 of 51 nationally; at $400,000, that is $4,480 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
- #2 of 51
- highest state transfer-tax rate first
- Tax at $400,000
- $5,120
- median-state tax $640
- Dataset date
- 2026-Q2
- source-linked record
Washington 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 | $2,560 |
| $400,000 | $5,120 |
| $600,000 | $7,680 |
| $800,000 | $10,240 |
State-level only; county and city taxes may add to these figures.
Recent Washington rule changes
Selected from the source-cited rule-change dataset by this state slug.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the real estate transfer tax in Washington?
Washington's transfer tax is 1.28% of the sale price, customarily seller-paid. Washington's Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) is graduated by price: roughly 1.10% up to $525k, 1.28% from $525k to $1.525M, 2.75% from $1.525M to $3.025M, and 3.00% above $3.025M (state portion), plus a local REET of 0.25%–0.50%. The seller pays. Washington has no state income tax, but REET is a meaningful closing cost.
Who pays the transfer tax in Washington?
In Washington the transfer tax is customarily seller-paid, though it's negotiable in the purchase contract.
How is Washington's transfer tax calculated?
Multiply the sale price by 1.28%. For example, on a $400,000 home that's about $5,120. Washington's Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) is graduated by price: roughly 1.10% up to $525k, 1.28% from $525k to $1.525M, 2.75% from $1.525M to $3.025M, and 3.00% above $3.025M (state portion), plus a local REET of 0.25%–0.50%. The seller pays. Washington has no state income tax, but REET is a meaningful closing cost.
Closest transfer-tax comparisons
These links are selected by nearby verified transfer-tax rates, not by a static related list.