Taxes when buying a house in Illinois

In most of Illinois the buyer pays no tax on the purchase, because the seller pays the state and county transfer tax. Chicago is the main exception: the buyer pays $3.75 for every $500 of the price. Some suburbs also tax the buyer.

Purchase price

State

City

Down payment

Loan amount: $320,000. Some states tax the mortgage, so the loan size changes the result there. Paying cash? Enter 100.

Estimated taxes when you buyIllinois · Rates verified November 2026

Pay to the order ofState and county tax offices$0

Zero and 00/100 dollars

Illinois does not tax the buyer on this purchase.

Taxes the buyer pays
Tax on the purchase	$0
Total buyer taxes	$0

Taxes only. Lender fees, title insurance, flat recording fees and prepaid property tax are separate closing costs.

What a Illinois home buyer is taxed on

Buyer's taxes: None on the purchase or the mortgage.
Transfer tax: The seller pays the state and county tax. In Chicago the buyer pays $3.75 per $500 of the city tax and the seller pays $1.50 per $500.
Sales tax: None. A home is real estate, and sales tax does not apply to it.
Official source: Illinois Compiled Statutes 35 ILCS 200/31-10
Last verified: November 2026

Naperville charges the buyer $1.50 per $500. Other towns tax the seller or nobody, so ask the title company which stamps your town requires. Suburban taxes are not in the calculator.

Illinois buyer taxes at common prices

Purchase price	Loan with 20% down	Buyer's taxes
$150,000	$120,000	$0
$250,000	$200,000	$0
$400,000	$320,000	$0
$600,000	$480,000	$0
$1,000,000	$800,000	$0

At the "Outside Chicago" rate. Other locations are in the next table.

Buyer taxes by location in Illinois

City	Buyer's taxes on a $400,000 home
Outside Chicago	$0
Chicago	$3,000

Questions Illinois buyers ask

Do buyers pay transfer tax in Illinois?

The seller pays the state and county tax. In Chicago the buyer pays $3.75 per $500 of the city tax and the seller pays $1.50 per $500.

Is there a mortgage tax in Illinois?

No. Illinois does not tax the recording of a mortgage. The county charges only a flat fee to record it.

Is there sales tax when you buy a house in Illinois?

No. Sales tax applies to goods and some services, and a house is real estate, which no state taxes that way.

How much tax does a buyer pay at closing in Illinois?

Usually none. On a $400,000 home a Illinois buyer owes no state or local tax on the purchase itself. Closing costs still include lender fees, title insurance and prepaid property tax.

Selling in Illinois? Use the Illinois transfer tax calculator.