Illinois Real Estate Transfer Tax Calculator
2026 rates · reviewed September 19, 2026
Shows the state, county, and municipal transfer taxes on an Illinois home sale, and which side pays each, for any Illinois town. AboutLess
In plain words. When a home changes hands in Illinois, the state and the county each take a small tax on the price, paid through stamps when the deed is recorded. Some towns add a tax of their own, and each town decides its rate and whether the buyer or the seller pays it. This tool takes the price and the municipality and shows each layer, who pays it, and the totals for each side of the closing table.
Why it matters. The municipal layer is the one that surprises people. Chicago's alone is more than ten times the state's, and in some suburbs the buyer pays it, in others the seller.
An example. A $500,000 home in Chicago: $500 to the state and $250 to the county from the seller by custom, $3,750 of city tax from the buyer, and $1,500 of CTA tax from the seller, $6,000 in all.
Where it stops. It taxes the whole price, so it leaves out a mortgage the buyer takes over, the exemptions for transfers under $100 and the like, and the stamps, inspections, and final water bills a village may also require. Who pays the state and county tax is custom, not law. A few home rule cities outside the ordinance database show state and county only. Everything it leaves out (opens in a new window).
The price on the contract. The transfer declaration the county requires states the same figure.
The town the property sits in, not the mailing address. Every Illinois city and village is on the list.
- Seller pays at closing
- $2,250
- State and county by custom, plus $1,500 to Chicago
- Buyer pays at closing
- $3,750
- The buyer's share of the Chicago tax
- Share of the price
- 1.20%
- All the layers together, against the price
- State of Illinois · $0.50 per $500 or any part of it$500 · the seller, by custom
- County · $0.25 per $500 or any part of it$250 · the seller, by custom
- Chicago · $3.75 per $500 from the buyer and $1.50 per $500 from the seller$5,250 · each side its own portion
The $3.75 is the city portion, paid by the buyer; the $1.50 is the CTA portion, paid by the seller. A buyer 65 or older who pays $250,000 or less and lives in the home for a year can apply for a refund of the CTA portion.
The state and county tax is paid with stamps the county recorder sells before the deed is recorded. A town's tax is paid at the village hall for its own stamp, and a town can also ask for a final water bill, an inspection, or a compliance stamp before it issues one. Who pays the state and county layers is custom, not law, so a contract can put them on the buyer.
This follows the Illinois real estate transfer tax rules for 2026. It applies the state's 50 cents and the county's 25 cents to every $500 of the price or any part of it, and the municipality's own rate, rounding, and minimum as the title ordinance database lists them. A town without home rule shows zero because Illinois lets only a home rule municipality adopt the tax. It taxes the whole price, so it leaves out a mortgage the buyer takes over, the exemptions for transfers under $100 and the like, and any stamp, inspection, or water bill a village charges beside the tax. Educational, not advice.
This is a simplified model, not your actual tax return or plan. It only knows what you type in, leaves out rules that may apply to you, and cannot weigh the other facts and trade-offs a real decision depends on. Before you act, talk with a professional who knows your whole situation.
Educational only, not investment, tax, or legal advice. Results are hypothetical estimates that vary with each use and over time and are not guaranteed accurate or complete. Using this tool creates no client relationship with Considerate Capital, and the site that linked here is not affiliated with it. By using it you agree to the tool terms (opens in a new window).