You’re buying or selling San Francisco property and need to estimate the transfer tax before the deed is recorded. The amount depends on the property’s entire value or consideration, and the applicable rate is charged for each $500 or portion thereof.
The rate can change sharply when a sale reaches a new tier. The city’s published guidance does not assign the charge to the buyer or seller, so ask your escrow officer who is paying under your purchase contract. This is general information and not legal advice.
What is San Francisco transfer tax?
San Francisco transfer tax is a city tax imposed when land or real property moves from one person or entity to another.
According to the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder’s transfer tax page, the tax is due when you record a document that transfers property, such as a deed, and when a legal entity changes control. It also applies to leaseholds with terms of 35 years or more and transfers involving legal entities that own San Francisco real property.
The authority to collect the tax and the list of exemptions are codified in Article 12C of the San Francisco Business and Tax Regulations Code.
A standard sale is generally taxed according to the purchase price. If there is no purchase price, as with a property swap, the tax is generally based on fair market value. This city charge is separate from the broader topic covered in the guide to California documentary transfer tax.
How are the transfer tax tiers applied?
The applicable tier is selected from the property’s entire value or consideration, rather than by taxing separate portions at different rates.
The Assessor-Recorder publishes these tiers:
| Entire value or consideration | Tax for each $500 or portion thereof |
|---|---|
| More than $100 and no more than $250,000 | $2.50 |
| More than $250,000 and less than $1,000,000 | $3.40 |
| $1,000,000 or more and less than $5,000,000 | $3.75 |
| $5,000,000 or more and less than $10,000,000 | $11.25 |
| $10,000,000 or more and less than $25,000,000 | $27.50 |
| $25,000,000 or more | $30.00 |
The city’s page words each tier by the entire value or consideration, so ask the Assessor-Recorder to confirm how the tier applies to a specific sale.
Because the charge applies to every $500 or portion thereof, a value that is not evenly divisible by $500 still includes the remaining portion as another unit. Confirm the city’s calculation for your transaction with the Assessor-Recorder.
What do the posted rates mean in dollars?
The posted rates produce a $5,440 transfer tax at $800,000 and a $7,500 transfer tax at $1,000,000.
These are Insider illustrations using arithmetic on the city’s posted rates, not quoted city calculations. At $800,000, there are 1,600 units of $500. Multiplying those units by $3.40 gives $5,440.
At $999,500, there are 1,999 units at $3.40, producing $6,796.60. At $1,000,000, there are 2,000 units at $3.75, producing $7,500. The move from $999,500 to $1,000,000 therefore raises the illustrated tax from $6,796.60 to $7,500 because the entire consideration falls into the next tier.
Transfer tax is one line among the items that can affect proceeds. The guide to the cost to sell a house in California provides related context without changing the city’s calculation.
We worked with a San Francisco seller who had calculated proceeds using only the brokerage costs and remaining loan balance. The transfer tax materially changed the amount he expected to receive at closing. We reviewed the applicable rate using the anticipated sale price and kept the calculation updated as the negotiations changed.
Who pays the tax and what must be filed?
The city’s published pages do not say whether the buyer or seller pays the transfer tax, so ask your escrow officer who is paying under your purchase contract.
The city says the tax is due when the transfer document is recorded, but it does not state what a title or escrow company does with the payment.
When recording a document that transfers land, tenements or other realty in San Francisco, you must submit a Transfer Tax Affidavit to the Assessor-Recorder. A deed of any type is among the listed documents. You must also submit a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report when transferring property.
The affidavit remains required even when no transfer tax is due. For a claimed exemption, the city’s detailed transfer tax guidance directs filers to submit a Transfer Tax Affidavit and Preliminary Change in Ownership form.
The Assessor-Recorder is located at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett, Room 190. Its published phone number is 628-652-8100.
Which transfers are generally exempt?
Common transfers that generally do not require transfer tax include gifts, inheritances and transfers between married couples or domestic partners.
The city’s guidance also lists transfers between an individual and that person’s own trust, and between an individual and that person’s own legal entity, such as an LLC, limited partnership or corporation. Adding or removing a co-signor solely for refinancing purposes is another listed example.
For a transfer to your own trust, there is generally no tax when the interest stays the same before and after the transfer. The required forms still need to be filed to claim an exemption.
The Assessor-Recorder also mentions a possible seismic and solar transfer tax exemption. The terms of that exemption are uncertain here because its separate city page was not reviewed for this guide. Ask the Assessor-Recorder whether it applies and what documentation is required.
An exemption from city transfer tax does not remove the need to examine other parts of a sale or property record. For residential transactions, the separate guide to San Francisco’s 3R Report explains that document.
What happens when someone is added to title?
Transfer tax depends on whether the person added to title pays consideration or receives an interest as a gift.
If a child pays something to be added to title, transfer tax is due based on the amount the child pays. If adding the child is a gift, there is generally no San Francisco transfer tax due.
The Assessor-Recorder may send deeds and tax affidavits claiming gift exemptions to the Internal Revenue Service. Although San Francisco does not impose transfer tax on gifts, the city notes that there might be federal tax implications to consider. City staff may not provide financial or legal advice.
The same payment principle applies to a co-signer. If someone pays to be added to title, even as a co-signer, the transfer tax is based on the amount paid. Adding or removing a co-signor solely for refinancing purposes is listed separately among transfers that generally do not require the tax.
What did the November 2026 ballot measures propose?
Proposition I proposed changes only for sales of $10,000,000 and up, while a separate measure concerned the foreclosure exemption.
For sales from $10,000,000 to under $25,000,000 and sales of $25,000,000 or more, Proposition I would reduce the existing transfer tax and add a new House SF Tax that would roughly replace it. Revenue from the new tax could only be spent on alternative housing and housing assistance. Sales below $10,000,000 would not change under the proposal.
It would also exempt the first sale of certain multifamily real estate when sold within five years after completion of new residential units. The Controller’s August 10, 2026 letter said the proposal would remove the Board of Supervisors’ authority to reduce, suspend or repeal the Real Property Transfer Tax without voter approval. It projected shifting $120 million per year from the General Fund to a special fund and a moderate annual decrease of approximately $1 million in overall city revenue beginning in fiscal year 2027-28. The letter noted that it could be revised before the Voter Information Pamphlet.
The other measure concerned the transfer tax exemption for foreclosures. Its detailed scope is not described here because its legal text was not reviewed.
The ballot was held November 3, 2026. As of November 6, 2026, Insider had not confirmed the results; check the Department of Elections. The San Francisco Standard’s coverage provides context on how transfer tax revenue relates to the ballot.
The short version
San Francisco transfer tax is based on the property’s entire value or consideration, with one posted rate applied for each $500 or portion thereof.
A $999,500 sale produces an illustrated tax of $6,796.60, while a $1,000,000 sale produces $7,500 under the posted rates. Confirm the actual calculation with the Assessor-Recorder.
The city’s pages do not say which side pays, so ask your escrow officer who is paying under your purchase contract. File the Transfer Tax Affidavit and Preliminary Change of Ownership form when required, including when claiming an exemption. For the pending ballot questions, check the Department of Elections before relying on any proposed change.
To put the tax estimate in the context of a possible sale, start with the home value tool.
Common questions
How is San Francisco transfer tax calculated?
The applicable tier is based on the property's entire value or consideration, with the tax stated as a dollar amount for each $500 or portion thereof.
Who pays San Francisco transfer tax in a home sale?
The city's pages do not assign the tax to the buyer or seller. Ask your escrow officer who is paying under your contract.
Is a Transfer Tax Affidavit required when an exemption applies?
Yes. You still need to submit a Transfer Tax Affidavit even if no transfer tax is due.
Is there generally transfer tax on a gift in San Francisco?
Generally, no transfer tax is due on a gift, but a Transfer Tax Affidavit and Preliminary Change in Ownership form are required to claim the exemption.
Did Proposition I change sales below $10,000,000?
No. Proposition I proposed changes only for sales of $10,000,000 and up, but Insider had not confirmed the election result as of November 6, 2026.
