Chicago Transfer Tax Calculator

Published on June 25th, 2025

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Chicago Transfer Tax Calculator: What to Expect

This simple calculator can help home sellers in Chicago estimate their transfer taxes. To get a ballpark idea of the transfer fees you might pay in the Windy City, enter your home’s estimated selling price above.

Need a selling price? Try HomeLight’s free Home Value Estimator to see what your house might be worth. To receive a more accurate listing price, contact a top Chicago real estate agent and request a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), a report that will compare your home against nearby listed and recently sold properties.

A top real estate agent can provide you with a Seller’s Net Sheet that breaks down all the costs of selling your home, along with an estimate of the proceeds you can expect. Use HomeLight’s free Agent Match platform to find a trusted local agent with excellent reviews and a proven track record.

How the Chicago Transfer Tax is Calculated

In Chicago, the total Real Property Transfer Tax is $5.25 per $500 of the property’s sale price. Typically, the buyer pays $3.75, while the seller covers $1.50 of that amount.

Another Transfer Tax Chicago Sellers Typically Pay

Many counties and local governments also charge home sellers a real estate transfer tax. In Chicago, you are responsible for paying the state a Real Estate Transfer tax of 50 cents per $500 of the property value for Cook County.

»Learn more: Chicago transfer taxes

See the bigger home sale picture: To see what your entire home sale might cost, try HomeLight’s Chicago Seller Closing Cost Calculator. You’ll also get a preliminary look at your estimated net proceeds.

Does the Seller Always Pay the Chicago Transfer Tax?

While it’s customary for the seller to pay the Chicago transfer tax, who pays can sometimes be a point of negotiation between the buyer and seller during the closing process.

Some Chicago home sales may be exempt, such as:

Transfers between spouses or former spouses as part of a divorce settlement.
Transfers of homestead property between spouses with only an existing mortgage or lien as consideration.
Transfers to governmental entities such as the United States, Florida government agencies, counties, municipalities, and political subdivisions.
Personal Representative’s deeds according to a probated will (with potential tax on excess shares).
Certain gifts where no consideration (money) is exchanged.

Make Buying and Selling Easier: Most Chicago sellers are also buyers looking to purchase a new home. With HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell program, you can make a non-contingent offer on your new home and only move once. Watch this short video to learn more.

More Resources to Plan Your Chicago Home Sale

Here are some additional tools to help you plan your Chicago home sale:

Sell fast without paying fees or commissions: Get a cash offer today.

With HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform, you can receive a no-obligation, all-cash offer for your Chicago home in 24 hours. If you accept the offer, you can close in as few as 10 days. Answer a few questions about your Chicago home to get started. Along with your cash offer, you’ll also receive an expert estimate of what a top Chicago agent might be able to get for your home. Receive both selling options with one tool.

As you look ahead to your next home purchase, here are some helpful buyer tools:

At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. Therefore, we promote strict editorial integrity in each of our posts.