NJ Real Estate Transaction Tax Calculator (2026)
Estimate what you'll owe New Jersey when a home sells: the graduated Realty Transfer Fee, the Mansion Tax, and — for sellers leaving the state — the nonresident "exit tax" withholding. Built for the current law, after the big change that took effect July 10, 2025.
The Mansion Tax is now paid by the seller and is graduated — up to 3.5% on the highest-priced homes. Before July 10, 2025 the buyer paid a flat 1% on sales over $1,000,000. Most calculators online still use the old buyer-paid rule and are now wrong. This tool uses the current rules.
The sale
Contract fully executed before July 10, 2025 and deed recorded before Nov 15, 2025. Switches the Mansion Tax to the old buyer-paid flat 1%.
What the seller owes
Line-item breakdown
How this works
1. Realty Transfer Fee (RTF) — paid by the seller
New Jersey charges the RTF on the recording of the deed. It is graduated per $500 of price: each rate applies only to the portion of the price that falls inside its bracket (like income-tax brackets), then the pieces are summed. Homes over $350,000 use a higher schedule than homes at or below $350,000.
A partial exemption exists for a senior citizen (62+), blind person, or person with a disability who owns and occupies a 1–2 family home as a NJ resident — it lowers the per-$500 rates and only applies to sales of $350,000 or less.
2. Mansion Tax — now paid by the seller (changed July 10, 2025)
Effective July 10, 2025, the "Mansion Tax" flipped from a flat 1% buyer obligation to a graduated tax paid by the seller. It applies to the full purchase price — not just the amount above $1,000,000 — with a cliff that starts just above $1,000,000. Rates rise from 1.0% to 3.5% as price climbs.
Grandfather rule. A contract fully executed before July 10, 2025 with the deed recorded before Nov 15, 2025 may still use the old rule: a flat 1% paid by the buyer on price over $1,000,000. Use the checkbox to compare.
3. "Exit tax" — nonresident withholding (not a separate tax)
New Jersey's so-called exit tax is not an extra tax — it is an estimated Gross Income Tax prepayment collected at closing when the seller is a nonresident (or is moving out of state). The amount withheld is the greater of 10.75% of the estimated gain or 2% of the sale price (the 2% acts as a floor). It is refundable: if your actual NJ tax is lower, you get the difference back when you file your NJ Gross Income Tax return (NJ-1040NR), or you can seek an early refund with Form A-3128.
Estimate only — confirm official figures. This calculator is an educational estimate. The RTF has multiple state and county components, rounding conventions, and edge cases (new construction, low-income housing, exempt entities, partial-interest transfers, and more) that can change the exact figure. The exit-tax withholding depends on how gain is computed and your filing status. Verify every number with your closing attorney, title company, and the NJ Division of Taxation — Realty Transfer Fee FAQ (nj.gov/treasury/taxation/lpt/rtffaqs.shtml). The Mortgage Record is not a lender, broker, law firm, or tax advisor; this is not tax or legal advice.