Philadelphia’s real estate transfer tax will increase from 3 percent to 3.1 percent

Have you ever been contemplating a sale of property in Philadelphia? If that’s the case, chances are you’ll wish to promote earlier than 2017 with a view to keep away from a tax hike on the native realty switch tax. Starting January 1, 2017, Philadelphia’s actual property switch tax will enhance from three p.c to three.1 p.c. The Philadelphia realty switch tax is along with the Pennsylvania realty switch tax of 1 p.c. Consequently, a sale of property in Philadelphia will now be topic to a complete realty switch tax charge of four.1percent.

The realty switch tax applies to the switch of possession of actual property. This not solely features a sale as mirrored in a deed, but additionally features a long-term lease of 30 years or extra, easements, life estates and transfers of 90 p.c or extra of the pursuits in an actual property firm. There are exceptions for transfers between members of the family, equivalent to husband and spouse, father or mother and little one, and siblings. Property transferred beneath a will can be exempt, but when property is bought from an property, it isn’t exempt.

The tax is often a proportion of the worth represented within the transfer documentation. Though the buyer and seller usually split the price of the transfer tax in Pennsylvania, the taxing authority has the fitting to gather 100 p.c of the tax from both social gathering. Thus, patrons and sellers conform to pay the tax in full on the closing of the sale, although well timed cost might be made inside 30 days of recording the deed. The events could also be accountable for penalties of as much as 50 p.c of the tax due in the event that they misrepresent or fail to file the transaction.

We assume this will create more people looking for strategies to avoid the increase, which would then create stricter guidelines for the sale of properties and transference of the deed.