Most California cities don't charge a real estate transfer tax beyond the county rate of $1.10 per $1,000. San Francisco does, and its rates are among the highest in the country. On a $2 million home, the standard San Francisco transfer tax is $15,000.
If you're selling a San Francisco property, you need to know what this is going to cost before you sign anything. Here's the breakdown, calculated from the official rate schedule published by the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder.
San Francisco transfer tax rates (2026)
The City charges a set amount for each $500 of the price, and the rate depends on the price. The whole price is taxed at the one rate for its tier. It is not a marginal tax, where only the part above each threshold pays the higher rate.
| Sale price | Rate per $500 | Effective rate | Tax at this tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over $100, up to $250,000 | $2.50 | 0.50% | Up to $1,250 |
| Over $250,000, under $1,000,000 | $3.40 | 0.68% | $1,700 to $6,800 |
| $1,000,000 to under $5,000,000 | $3.75 | 0.75% | $7,500 to $37,500 |
| $5,000,000 to under $10,000,000 | $11.25 | 2.25% | $112,500 to $225,000 |
| $10,000,000 to under $25,000,000 | $27.50 | 5.50% | $550,000 to $1,375,000 |
| $25,000,000 and up | $30.00 | 6.00% | $1,500,000 and up |
San Francisco is a combined city and county, so this schedule is the whole transfer tax. There is no separate county charge added on top. The $1.10 per $1,000 county rate you may have seen applies in other California counties, not as an extra line on a San Francisco sale.
These figures are for an ordinary taxable sale with no exemption and no special reduced rate. The Assessor-Recorder makes the actual determination from the transfer tax affidavit filed with the deed.
Real-world examples
A $1.4M condo in the Mission:
- $1,400,000 is in the $1 million to $5 million tier: $3.75 per $500, or 0.75%
- Transfer tax: $10,500
A $2.5M single-family home in Noe Valley:
- Same tier, 0.75%
- Transfer tax: $18,750
A $6M home in Pacific Heights:
- $6,000,000 is in the $5 million to $10 million tier: $11.25 per $500, or 2.25%
- Transfer tax: $135,000
The threshold cliffs
Because the whole price is taxed at one rate, crossing a threshold raises the tax on every dollar, not just the dollars above the line.
- A home that sells for $4,999,000 pays $37,492.50. At $5,000,000, the tax is $112,500. One extra thousand dollars of price adds about $75,000 of tax.
- A home that sells for $9,999,999 pays $225,000. At $10,000,000, the tax is $550,000.
- The smaller cliff at $1 million: $999,999 pays $6,800, and $1,000,000 pays $7,500.
Sellers and buyers priced near the $5 million and $10 million lines often negotiate with these numbers in mind. Talk to your agent or attorney before you set a price around a threshold.
Who pays it
In San Francisco, the seller customarily pays the transfer tax. That's custom, not law. It's a negotiated term in the purchase contract, and occasionally a buyer agrees to pay all or part of it. Plan on paying it yourself unless your contract says otherwise.
When it gets paid
At closing. The escrow or title company calculates the amount, pays it when the deed records, and shows it as a deduction on your closing statement. You don't write a separate check to the City.
Common exemptions
San Francisco's transfer tax and its exemptions are set out in Article 12-C of the San Francisco Business and Tax Regulations Code. According to the Assessor-Recorder's summary, these common transfers are generally exempt:
- Between spouses or registered domestic partners.
- Gifts, where nobody pays anything for the property. Federal gift tax rules may still apply.
- Inheritance, by will or through a trust, as long as nobody pays anything in exchange for the property.
- Transfers between you and your own trust, when the ownership interest stays the same before and after.
- Transfers between you and your own legal entity (an LLC, partnership, or corporation), when the proportional ownership stays the same.
- Adding or removing a co-signer solely for refinancing, with no payment for the change.
San Francisco also has seismic and solar exemptions and exemptions for certain rent-restricted affordable housing projects. Every exemption has to be claimed on the Transfer Tax Affidavit, usually with supporting documents, and the Assessor-Recorder may forward inheritance and gift claims to the IRS.
Not exempt: an ordinary sale, including a sale between family members for real money. If a family transfer is part sale and part gift, work with a title company or attorney before you record anything.
How to plan around it
Three practical considerations for SF sellers:
1. Know which tier your price lands in. The jump at $5 million and at $10 million is large enough to change the negotiation. Run the numbers at the price you expect, not just the list price.
2. Family transfers should go through proper channels. If you're transferring property between family members for less than fair market value, work with a real estate attorney and a title company that knows the exemption rules. The Assessor-Recorder reviews claimed exemptions.
3. Trust planning helps. A transfer to your heirs by inheritance or through a trust is generally exempt, as long as nobody pays for the property. Estate planning with an attorney is the place to sort this out.
Why SF is different
San Francisco voters have raised the top tiers more than once. Most recently, Proposition I in November 2020 doubled the rates on sales of $10 million and up, from 2.75% to 5.5% below $25 million and from 3% to 6% at $25 million and above.
Several other Bay Area cities, including Oakland, Berkeley, and San Jose (on higher-priced sales), add a city transfer tax on top of their county's rate. Rates and thresholds differ by city and change over time, so check the current schedule for the city where the property sits.
What we cover
When we buy your San Francisco home, we pay the transfer tax, along with the title, escrow, and recording costs. You pay no commission, because there's no agent.
That matters on higher-value SF properties. On a $2.5 million home, the transfer tax alone is $18,750. At a 5 percent commission, commission plus transfer tax comes to about $143,750, before title, escrow, repairs, or staging.
The price we offer is the price we pay. Nothing comes off it for our fees or closing costs. If you have a mortgage or liens on the property, escrow pays those off from the sale price, and you receive the rest.
What to do now
If you're selling an SF property and want to know your actual net after transfer tax and closing costs, ask your title or escrow company for a seller's net sheet. Or call us for a cash offer where we cover the transfer tax and closing costs.
Call or text 415-800-1415, or fill out the short form below. We'll set up a time to walk through the property and put a real number in front of you.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rates are taken from the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder's published schedule as of September 2026.
Selling a San Francisco home and want to understand your net after the transfer tax? We buy houses in San Francisco for cash, with no commission on our side. Get a cash offer in 24 hours.
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