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Michigan Closing Cost Calculator
Michigan charges $3.75 per $500 in state transfer tax plus $0.55 per $500 in county tax, $8.60 per $1,000 combined, paid by the seller. On a $270,000 sale that is $2,322. The calculator shows both taxes and adds them to your settlement worksheet.
Michigan transfer tax and settlement worksheet
Ordinary taxable sale with no exemption: state tax plus county tax at the entered charge per $500. The seller is the statutory payer. An exemption must be confirmed separately; enter a total quote to replace both calculated taxes.
| Parameter | Amount | In effect | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|
| State real estate transfer tax | $3.75 per $500 or fraction | From January 1, 1995 | MCL 207.525 |
| County real property transfer tax | $0.55 per $500 or fraction | Current text effective March 31, 1981 | MCL 207.504 |
| County ceiling for a county of 2,000,000 or more | Up to $0.75 per $500, if the county board authorizes it | Same section | MCL 207.504 |
| Wayne County published county rate | $0.55 per $500 ($8.60 per $1,000 with state) | Current schedule | Wayne County Register of Deeds |
| Wayne County recording, per document | $26 plus $4 survey and remonumentation fee where applicable ($30) | From January 1, 2026 | Wayne County Register of Deeds |
| Who pays the state tax | Seller (grantor) | Under 1993 PA 330 | Michigan Treasury |
Two taxes use the same block size
MCL 207.525 charges $3.75 state tax for each $500 or fraction of the transferred real-property value. MCL 207.504 sets the county charge at $0.55 per $500 or fraction for counties below the statutory population threshold and permits up to $0.75 only in a county of 2,000,000 or more people. Wayne County, the most populous, publishes $0.55, so the default here is $0.55; confirm the amount with the register of deeds.
The calculator rounds the number of $500 blocks upward before multiplying either charge. At $250,001, 501 blocks produce $1,878.75 state tax and $275.55 county tax. The combined $2,154.30 is included on the seller side by default, reflecting the statutory payer. Changing the budget allocation does not change liability under the acts.
Recording is a separate line. Wayne County's new schedule, the first increase at that office since 1996, charges $26 per deed or mortgage regardless of page count, plus the $4 survey and remonumentation fee where it applies. A buyer recording a deed and a mortgage there pays $26 for each, plus the $4 fee on any instrument it applies to; other counties publish their own schedules.
A state exemption needs its own documentation
The principal-residence exemption can depend on state equalized value at acquisition versus transfer, principal-residence status and an arm's-length sale. A gain or loss in sale price alone does not establish eligibility. The worksheet assumes a taxable ordinary sale; it does not infer an exemption from the entered price.
Review Michigan Treasury's exemption-documentation guidance. If an exemption or refund applies, obtain the separate state and county amounts and enter their combined quoted amount in your transfer-tax line. That quote replaces the estimate once.
Primary rates and exemptions: Michigan Compiled Laws, Chapter 207. For a settlement budget, add the actual title, recording, credit, commission and payoff amounts below the tax inputs.
Michigan transfer-tax worked examples
| Scenario | Taxable value | State tax | Local amount | Tax subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard county charge | $250,000.00 | $1,875.00 | $275.00 | $2,150.00 |
| Fractional $500 block | $250,001.00 | $1,878.75 | $275.55 | $2,154.30 |
| Example purchase price | $270,000.00 | $2,025.00 | $297.00 | $2,322.00 |
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. How the settlement worksheet works.
Questions about Michigan
- How much Michigan transfer tax applies to a $250,000 taxable sale?
- With no exemption and the standard $0.55 county charge per $500, the modeled tax is $1,875 state plus $275 county, or $2,150 total. Title, recording, commission and other closing charges are separate.
- Does the Michigan principal-residence exemption remove county tax too?
- A state-tax exemption does not by itself establish a county exemption. Confirm each tax separately with the register of deeds. Enter your own combined transfer-tax quote to replace the automatic state-and-county estimate when an exemption applies.