Baltimore City Transfer Tax Calculator

Every layer that applies to a Baltimore City sale, added up.

Verified September 21, 2026 · city ordinance and state source checked

Sale price (USD)

Who pays in Baltimore City

Maryland custom is an even split between buyer and seller unless the contract says otherwise. A first-time Maryland buyer pays 0.25 percent state rate and the seller must cover all of it.

What catches people out

Baltimore City is the most expensive place in Maryland at 3 percent. Sales above $1 million also pay a Yield Tax, an extra 0.6 percent on the transfer tax and 0.15 percent on the recordation tax, which pushes the total to roughly 3.75 percent. Owner-occupants can exempt the first $22,000 under the city code.

Sources

Maryland Department of Legislative Services, Other Local Tax Rates in Maryland FY2026
“Baltimore City 5.00 5.00 1.5% 1.5% ... Charles 5.00 7.00 0.5% 0.5%”

Baltimore City, City Tax Rates
“Transfer* 1.5% Of the cash consideration | Recordation* $5.00 Per $500 of actual consideration paid ... The Yield Tax ... applies to transactions greater than $1 million, with 40% of the transfer tax and 15% of the recordation tax allocated to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.”

Last verified: September 21, 2026.

See the full Maryland transfer tax rules →

Estimates only. Your closing agent or the county recorder issues the final figure. This page does not collect or store anything you enter.