- The state’s rules, as above
Massachusetts seller net sheet calculator
Massachusetts sellers pay the deeds excise: $4.56 per $1,000, or 0.456% of the price, with a higher combined rate on Cape Cod. Closings are
Compare prices
Same costs, different prices. Useful for weighing offers or picking
A Massachusetts sale, worked out
The calculator opens on $605,000, about the median value of an owner-occupied home in Massachusetts ($607,400, 2024 Census estimate), with a $305,000 mortgage payoff as an example. Commissions are whatever the seller agrees, so they’re
Before commissions and the payoff, the seller’s costs come to about $3,911, or 0.65% of the price, for a closing on December 5, 2026. Massachusetts’s transfer tax on a $400,000 sale is the 13th highest of the 35 states and DC
| Settlement or escrow feeest. | −$600 |
|---|---|
| Closing attorneyest. | −$900 |
| Recording and release feesest. | −$100 |
| Deeds excise tax | −$2,759 |
| Property tax credit (prorated)est. | +$448 |
| Total | −$3,911 |
A “+” is a credit to the seller: taxes the seller already paid for
The deeds excise tax and title at other prices
Deeds excise tax is 0.456% of the price, usually paid by the seller. The owner’s policy below is an estimate; your title company’s quote will differ. The buyer usually pays for it here, so it isn’t in the
| Sale price | Whole deeds excise tax | Seller usually pays | Owner’s title policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $1,140 | $1,140 | $875est. |
| $500,000 | $2,280 | $2,280 | $1,750est. |
| $750,000 | $3,420 | $3,420 | $2,625est. |
| $1,000,000 | $4,560 | $4,560 | $3,500est. |
| $2,000,000 | $9,120 | $9,120 | $7,000est. |
Counties or cities in Massachusetts can add a tax of their own. Add it under Other costs
Selling in Massachusetts: what to know
Deeds excise tax
The Massachusetts deeds excise is paid by the seller. With the long-standing 14% surtax it comes to $2.28 per $500, or 0.456%, rounded up to the next $500, so $2,280 on a $500,000 sale. Barnstable County (Cape Cod) uses a combined state and county rate of $6.48 per $1,000 (0.648%) instead. No city or town transfer taxes
Title insurance
The owner’s policy is optional in Massachusetts, and the buyer customarily buys it through the buyer’s or
Who runs the closing
Massachusetts closings are conducted by attorneys, typically the lender’s closing attorney. The state’s highest court has treated conducting a residential closing as requiring
Property taxes
Massachusetts towns run a July-to-June fiscal year. Quarterly towns bill August 1, November 1, February 1 and May 1; semiannual towns bill around November 1 and May 1. Each installment covers the period it falls in, so a seller who is current usually gets a credit from the buyer for
Local differences
Barnstable County (Cape Cod): 0.648% instead of 0.456%. Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard: a 2% Land Bank fee paid by the buyer, with exemptions for qualifying first-time buyers that the calculator doesn’t apply. The 2024 Affordable Homes Act passed without the proposed local-option transfer fee. Pick Cape Cod, Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard in the calculator to
Massachusetts by county and city
Most of Massachusetts follows the rules above. These places add a tax of their own, set a different rate or change who pays, and the calculator applies them when you pick one. Amounts are what the seller usually pays in transfer and deed taxes on $605,000, plus the owner’s title policy where the seller
- Deeds excise tax 0.648%
- Nantucket Land Bank fee 2%
- Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank fee 2%
Selling in Massachusetts: questions
How much is the deeds excise in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts charges sellers $4.56 per $1,000 of the price (0.456%), or $6.48 per $1,000 in Barnstable County on Cape Cod. A $500,000 sale outside the
Who pays transfer tax in Massachusetts?
The seller. Massachusetts law puts the deeds excise on the person who
Do you need an attorney to sell a house in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts closings are run by attorneys, usually the lender’s closing attorney, and many sellers hire their own attorney for the
How much are seller closing costs in Massachusetts?
Leaving out commissions, which are whatever the seller agrees, and the loan payoff, a Massachusetts seller’s costs on a $605,000 sale come to about $3,911 with the calculator’s estimates and a December 5, 2026 closing: settlement or escrow fee $600, closing attorney $900, recording and release fees $100, deeds excise tax $2,759, property tax credit (prorated) (a $448 credit). Put in your own numbers above for
Is anything I type saved?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and sends nothing to us. A copied link carries the numbers in the address itself, so only people you share it with
Sources
Massachusetts’s rules were checked against these on
Spot something out of date? Report a correction and we’ll check it
Was this calculator helpful?
Thanks, that helps us
Further reading
All posts
Buyer closing costs by state (2026): what you'll pay and why
What buyers pay at closing in every state: lender and loan fees, title, buyer-only taxes like Florida's note stamps and New York's mortgage
What is a seller net sheet, and how to read one (2026)
Every line on a seller net sheet explained: commissions, payoffs, title, transfer taxes and prorations, with a worked example and every
Transfer taxes in 2026: what every state charges to sell a home
Every state's transfer tax, checked: 36 places charge one, 15 don't, and on a $400,000 sale it runs from $40 to $16,000. Who pays
Save estimates with your clients.
Workspace opens soon, with net sheets free on every plan. Get on the early-access list and we’ll set
Workspace is free to start. Save net sheets to your clients, send them as a link, and compare prices
Workspace is free to start. Save net sheets to your clients, send them as a link, and compare prices