Taxes when buying a house in Vermont

In Vermont the buyer pays the property transfer tax. On a home you will live in it is 0.5% of the first $200,000 and 1.47% of the rest. A second home is taxed at 3.62% of the whole price.

Purchase price

State

Buyer's use

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 buyVermont · Rates verified November 2026

Pay to the order ofState and county tax offices$3,940

Three thousand nine hundred forty and 00/100 dollars

On a $400,000 purchase with a $320,000 loan

Taxes the buyer pays
Transfer tax, buyer's share0.5% on the first $200,000, then 1.47% (paid by the buyer)	$3,940
Total buyer taxes	$3,940

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

What a Vermont home buyer is taxed on

Buyer's taxes: Transfer tax: 0.5% on the first $200,000, then 1.47% (paid by the buyer). The buyer, under state law, unless the contract shifts it.
Transfer tax: The buyer, under state law, unless the contract shifts it.
Sales tax: None. A home is real estate, and sales tax does not apply to it.
Official source: Vermont Statutes Title 32, section 9602
Last verified: November 2026

Buyers using a VHFA, VHCB or USDA Rural Development mortgage pay nothing on the first $250,000. That reduction is not in the calculator.

Vermont buyer taxes at common prices

Purchase price	Loan with 20% down	Buyer's taxes
$150,000	$120,000	$750
$250,000	$200,000	$1,735
$400,000	$320,000	$3,940
$600,000	$480,000	$6,880
$1,000,000	$800,000	$12,760

At the "Buyer's main home" rate. Other locations are in the next table.

Buyer taxes by location in Vermont

Buyer's use	Buyer's taxes on a $400,000 home
Buyer's main home	$3,940
Second home (not a long-term rental)	$14,480

Questions Vermont buyers ask

Do buyers pay transfer tax in Vermont?

The buyer, under state law, unless the contract shifts it.

Is there a mortgage tax in Vermont?

No. Vermont 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 Vermont?

No. Sales tax applies to goods and some services, and a house is real estate, which no state taxes that way. The one-time taxes a Vermont buyer does pay are listed on this page.

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

On a $400,000 home bought with 20% down, a Vermont buyer pays about $3,940 in state and local taxes: $3,940 in transfer tax, buyer's share. Lender fees, title insurance and prepaid property tax come on top.

Selling in Vermont? Use the Vermont transfer tax calculator.