California Real Estate Transfer Tax Calculator

Built from the statute and cross-checked against what the revenue department currently applies.

Verified September 21, 2026 · statute and revenue department cross-checked
The statute and the actual bill do not match.
The Measure ULA ordinance says $5,000,000 and $10,000,000. The city applies inflation-adjusted thresholds of $5,400,000 and $10,900,000. This page uses the applied figures.
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Who pays

Negotiated. Southern California custom is seller; in the north it is often split.

What to know about California

California has no state transfer tax. Counties charge $0.55 per $500 and about 40 charter cities add their own, sometimes far more. Los Angeles’s Measure ULA thresholds are adjusted for inflation each year; the ordinance text says $5 million and $10 million but the Office of Finance applies $5.4 million and $10.9 million for transactions closing after June 30, 2026.

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Sources

Statute: Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 11911
Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 11911
“a tax at the rate of fifty-five cents ($0.55) for each five hundred dollars ($500) or fractional part thereof”
Los Angeles Office of Finance, Measure ULA FAQ
“Effective for transactions closing after June 30, 2026, the new ULA thresholds will be $5,400,000 and $10,900,000. ... The Base Tax rate of $2.25 per $500 or part thereof”
San Francisco Assessor-Recorder, Transfer tax
“If entire value or consideration is $25,000,000 or more, your tax rate is $30.00 for each $500 or portion thereof”


Last verified: September 21, 2026.
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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.