One-time deed tax
Illinois Transfer Tax Calculator
Illinois charges 50 cents per $500 at state level. Counties and many municipalities add their own transfer taxes on top, and Chicago’s is far larger than the state’s.
Updated 3 primary sources Editorial policy
Illinois transfer tax estimator
Illinois DOR — transfer-tax base and mortgage exclusion; Illinois DOR — PTAX-203 and statutory exemption instructions; City of Naperville — real estate transfer tax stamp. Statute checked October 1, 2026. This is a one-time deed charge, separate from annual property tax.
This is not your annual property tax
Transfer tax is charged once, when the deed changes hands, and it is worked out from the sale price. Property tax is charged every year and is worked out from the assessed value. Paying one does not reduce the other. If you were looking for the yearly bill, the Illinois property tax calculator is the page you want.
What the statute says
| Item | Illinois |
|---|---|
| State real estate transfer tax | $0.50 per $500 |
| Who pays | Set by the sale contract. The tax is on the privilege of transferring title (35 ILCS 200/31-10). |
The statute charges the rate on each $500 or fraction of $500, so the taxable base rounds up. The worksheet rounds the prepared value into the statute’s units, then applies any separately stated minimum and rounding rule.
If the transferring document states the property is taken subject to a mortgage, the outstanding mortgage balance is excluded from the taxable value (35 ILCS 200/31-10).
Actual consideration below $100 is exempt under §31-45(e). Other exemption categories require confirmation. A claimed mortgage exclusion must match the deed and agency conditions.
Scope of this result. County and municipal transfer taxes are additional and are not included in the figure above. Confirm the local rate with the recorder for the county, and with the city if the property sits inside one that levies its own.
County and city stamps on top of the state tax
| Layer | Rate | Who buys it | Source, read |
|---|---|---|---|
| County stamp | 25 cents per $500 of value, in a county that imposes it | Sold by the county recorder with the state stamp; confirm the county’s own rate there | IL DOR, |
| Home-rule city or village | Its own additional tax, set by local ordinance | Set by each ordinance | IL DOR, |
| Naperville (inside city limits) | $1.50 per $500 of purchase price, rounded up to the next $500 | Buyer buys the city stamp | City of Naperville, |
Naperville’s own example: a $150,437 price rounds up to $150,500, which is 301 units of $500, so the city stamp is 301 × $1.50 = $451.50. Add the state stamp on top: 301 × $0.50 = $150.50.
For Des Plaines, Aurora or Schaumburg, ask the city or village finance office for its current stamp rate and who pays it before closing. This page lists a municipal rate only after reading that municipality’s own ordinance or fee page.
Sources
- tax.illinois.govIllinois DOR — transfer-tax base and mortgage exclusion
- tax.illinois.govIllinois DOR — PTAX-203 and statutory exemption instructions
- naperville.il.usCity of Naperville — real estate transfer tax stamp
Statutes read 1 October 2026. Rates change; confirm with the recording office before you close.
Updated by the Property Tax Calculator Editorial Team. Report a correction