San Francisco Transfer Tax: 2026 Rates, Who Pays and How to Calculate
San Francisco’s transfer tax runs from $2.50 to $30.00 for each $500 of price, which is 0.5% to 6%, and the rate for your price tier applies to the whole price, not just the part above each threshold. A $1,500,000 home owes $11,250, a $6,000,000 home owes $135,000, and the seller customarily pays, though the purchase contract can say otherwise. The tax is due when the deed is recorded, with a Transfer Tax Affidavit.
San Francisco is a combined city and county, so there’s one transfer tax here, not a county tax plus a city tax as in most of the Bay Area. Its rates are set by Article 12-C of the city’s Business and Tax Regulations Code and published by the Assessor-Recorder. This page gives the current tiers, worked examples at common price points, the tier “cliffs” that matter in negotiation, the main exemptions and the two measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot. For how SF compares with Oakland, Berkeley and the North Bay, see our California transfer tax guide.
San Francisco transfer tax rates for 2026
The Assessor-Recorder’s table charges each tier “for each $500 or portion thereof,” and its FAQ labels the column “tax rate for entire value or consideration.” The percentage column is our conversion of the per-$500 rate.
| Price or value | Rate per $500 | Same rate as a percentage |
|---|---|---|
| More than $100 up to $250,000 | $2.50 | 0.50% |
| More than $250,000, under $1,000,000 | $3.40 | 0.68% |
| $1,000,000 to under $5,000,000 | $3.75 | 0.75% |
| $5,000,000 to under $10,000,000 | $11.25 | 2.25% |
| $10,000,000 to under $25,000,000 | $27.50 | 5.50% |
| $25,000,000 or more | $30.00 | 6.00% |
The same six tiers appear on the city’s Transfer Tax Affidavit (revised January 2025) and in the Assessor-Recorder’s FAQ. Title companies often quote them per $1,000 instead, which doubles each figure: $5.00, $6.80, $7.50, $22.50, $55.00 and $60.00.
How to calculate it, with examples
- Find the tier. Use the full price, or fair market value when there’s no sale price, such as a change in control of an entity.
- Count the $500 units. Divide the price by 500 and round any fraction up, because each “portion” of $500 counts as a full unit.
- Multiply by the tier’s rate. The result is the whole tax. There’s no stepping through lower tiers first.
On our arithmetic, here’s what that produces at common San Francisco price points:
| Sale price | Tier rate | Transfer tax |
|---|---|---|
| $800,000 | $3.40 per $500 | $5,440 |
| $1,500,000 | $3.75 per $500 | $11,250 |
| $2,000,000 | $3.75 per $500 | $15,000 |
| $3,500,000 | $3.75 per $500 | $26,250 |
| $6,000,000 | $11.25 per $500 | $135,000 |
| $12,000,000 | $27.50 per $500 | $660,000 |
| $30,000,000 | $30.00 per $500 | $1,800,000 |
These are planning figures. Escrow calculates the final amount from the recorded documents, and our seller net sheet guide shows where the tax sits among a seller’s other costs.
The tier cliffs: why $4,999,999 and $5,000,000 aren’t close
Because one rate covers the whole price, crossing a threshold by a dollar raises the tax on every dollar below it. On our arithmetic:
| Price just below | Tax | Price at threshold | Tax | Jump |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $999,999 | $6,800 | $1,000,000 | $7,500 | $700 |
| $4,999,999 | $37,500 | $5,000,000 | $112,500 | $75,000 |
| $9,999,999 | $225,000 | $10,000,000 | $550,000 | $325,000 |
| $24,999,999 | $1,375,000 | $25,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $125,000 |
For a seller, an offer just over $5,000,000 or $10,000,000 can net less than one just under it. That makes the threshold a real negotiating point: a seller can counter at a price that clears the jump, or the parties can agree to share the extra tax. Whatever you agree, put it in the purchase agreement and have your title officer confirm the figure. Our guide to luxury homes in San Francisco covers pricing at the top of the market, and selling a luxury home covers the marketing side.
Who pays the San Francisco transfer tax
No rule assigns it; the contract does. Ticor Title’s 2026 California Customary Practices Guide lists the San Francisco transfer tax as a seller cost, and the buyer as customarily paying the owner’s title policy and escrow fees. The guide itself says those customs are negotiable.
In practice, expect a buyer’s offer to follow the custom unless the market or the property gives one side leverage. If you agree to anything else, such as a split above a threshold, write the exact split into the contract. Our who pays closing costs guide covers the other line items.
Exemptions and transfers with no tax
The Assessor-Recorder’s FAQ lists common transfers and how they’re treated. A claimed exemption must be proven with written documents at recording, or the tax is due.
| Transfer | Tax under the Assessor-Recorder FAQ |
|---|---|
| Between spouses or registered domestic partners | No tax |
| Gift, with nothing paid | No tax |
| Inheritance by will or trust, with nothing paid | No tax |
| Individual to or from their own trust | No tax, with trust documents if the name doesn’t match |
| Individual to their own LLC, LP or corporation, same proportions | No tax, with formation documents |
| Adding or removing a co-borrower for a refinance, nothing paid | No tax |
| Parent to child for consideration | Tax applies |
| Adding a person who pays consideration | Tax on the amount paid |
The FAQ also notes that the Assessor-Recorder may send gift and inheritance claims to the IRS. For heirs, our guide to inheriting a house in California explains the separate property tax and income tax questions.
Reduced maximum rates
The affidavit lists two caps. Qualified rent-restricted affordable housing transfers under section 1108.6 pay at most $3.75 per $500, with a certificate from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. Qualified transfers under section 1108.8 pay at most $15 per $500, with a certificate from the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement. Ask your title officer early whether either could apply, because the certificate has to exist at recording.
Entity transfers, long leases and the affidavit
The tax reaches more than deeds. The city says tax is due when a legal entity that owns San Francisco property changes control, measured by fair market value rather than price. If the proportional-interest exemption doesn’t apply, the FAQ says tax is generally due on 100% of the property’s value.
- Long leases: a lease with 35 years or more remaining is taxable, based on the present value of the leasehold using contract rent. Under 35 years, the affidavit says no tax is due.
- Property swaps: taxed on fair market value.
- The affidavit: required for every recorded transfer where tax is due or an exemption is claimed, signed under penalty of perjury, and completed in English. A Preliminary Change of Ownership Report is also required.
A sale of a tenancy-in-common share is a transfer of an interest in the property, so expect tax on the price paid and confirm it with escrow; see our guides to San Francisco TICs and San Francisco multifamily investing for the ownership side.
On the November 3, 2026 ballot
Proposition I. The Controller’s statement of August 10, 2026 says it would cut the general transfer tax on the two top tiers, from 5.5% to 2.75% for $10 million to under $25 million and from 6% to 3% for $25 million and up, and add a new House SF tax at 2.75% and 3% on the same tiers, with the money restricted to affordable housing programs. On those figures the combined rate stays at 5.5% and 6%. The measure also creates an exemption from the House SF tax for certain recently built multifamily properties.
Proposition J. A second measure, approved for the ballot by the Board of Supervisors on July 28, 2026, would end the transfer tax exemption for deeds to lenders in foreclosure for most property from March 1, 2027. Single-family homes, condos, co-op units, live/work units and buildings with fewer than five homes would keep it.
Neither measure changes the rate on a typical home sale. Earlier in 2026, a separate proposal known as the BUILD Act would have cut the top rates outright; Hoodline reported in June 2026 that Mayor Daniel Lurie and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood had put it on hold over the city’s budget shortfall. We’ll update this page once the November results are certified.
Other costs that sit next to the transfer tax
- State withholding: California can require income tax withholding from the seller’s proceeds at closing unless an exemption applies; see our Form 593 guide.
- Seller’s city requirements: the 3R report, the water conservation inspection and the flood zone disclosure; see the San Francisco seller requirements checklist.
- Buyer’s property tax: the new assessed value triggers a supplemental bill, separate from the transfer tax; see our supplemental tax bill guide.
Questions people ask
How much is the San Francisco transfer tax?
Between $2.50 and $30.00 per $500 of price, or 0.5% to 6%, depending on the tier. A $1,500,000 sale owes $11,250; a $6,000,000 sale owes $135,000.
Is the San Francisco transfer tax marginal or on the whole price?
The whole price. The Assessor-Recorder’s table gives one rate for the entire value or consideration, so a $5,000,000 sale pays 2.25% on all of it.
Who pays transfer tax in San Francisco, buyer or seller?
By custom, the seller, according to Ticor Title’s 2026 customary practices guide. It’s negotiable, so the purchase agreement controls.
What is the transfer tax on a $10 million home in San Francisco?
$550,000, because $10,000,000 falls in the 5.5% tier. At $9,999,999 the tax would be $225,000, on our arithmetic.
Do you pay transfer tax on an inherited house in San Francisco?
Not on the inheritance itself, if nothing is paid. The Assessor-Recorder lists inheritance by will or trust as no tax, with the date of death shown on the affidavit. A later sale by the heirs is taxed normally.
Do I need a Transfer Tax Affidavit if no tax is due?
Yes. The city requires the affidavit with any recorded transfer where tax is due or an exemption is claimed, plus documents proving the exemption.
Will Proposition I raise the transfer tax on my home?
The Controller’s statement describes no change to the combined rate. It splits the top two tiers, $10 million and up, into a general tax and a House SF tax at the same total.
Is a transfer to my LLC taxed?
Not if the ownership proportions stay exactly the same and you document it with formation papers. A later change in control of the LLC can be taxed on the property’s full value.
If you’re pricing a San Francisco sale near a tier line, or want a net sheet that shows the transfer tax at several prices, talk with us about selling in San Francisco. For the city overview, start at our San Francisco guide. This is general information, not legal or tax advice; talk to a California real estate attorney or tax adviser about your situation.
Sources & notes
- City and County of San Francisco (sf.gov): Transfer tax
- SF Assessor-Recorder: Transfer tax FAQs
- SF Assessor-Recorder: Transfer Tax Affidavit (rev. January 2025)
- SF Controller: Statement on Proposition I, changes to real property transfer tax (August 10, 2026)
- SF Board of Supervisors: Legal text, real property transfer tax foreclosure exemption measure (File No. 260692, November 2026)
- Ticor Title: 2026 California Customary Practices Guide (January 2026)
- Ballotpedia News: San Francisco voters to decide on 11 local ballot measures on Nov. 3, 2026 (August 27, 2026)
- Hoodline: SF City Hall slams brakes on big-money transfer tax break (June 9, 2026)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
