Built from the statute and cross-checked against what the revenue department currently applies.
Verified September 21, 2026 · statute and revenue department cross-checked
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Who pays
Customarily split, though the contract decides.
What to know about Maryland
Maryland stacks three layers: a 0.5 percent state transfer tax, a county transfer tax between zero and 1.5 percent, and a county recordation tax quoted per $500. Baltimore City and Baltimore County are the most expensive at about 3 percent all in. A first-time Maryland buyer cuts the state rate to 0.25 percent and the seller must pay all of it. Charles County raised its recordation tax from $5.00 to $7.00 in fiscal 2026.
Md. Tax-Property § 13-203 “the rate of the transfer tax is 0.5% of the consideration payable ... for a sale of improved residential real property to a first-time Maryland home buyer who will occupy the property as a principal residence, the rate of the transfer tax is 0.25% ... and the transfer tax shall be paid entirely by the seller.”
Estimates only. Your closing agent or the county recorder issues the final figure, and exemptions can change what you owe. This page does not collect or store anything you enter.