How Florida's documentary stamp tax works on real estate sales in Broward County: the rate, who pays, exemptions, and a real calculator example.
By Ty Stevenson, Founder of InTym Properties
If you're selling a home in Florida, the documentary stamp tax, commonly called "doc stamps", is one of the largest line items at closing. It's a state excise tax on the transfer of real property, and in Broward County, the seller typically pays it. This guide explains the rate, who pays, the exemptions, and how to calculate it with a real example.
Florida documentary stamp tax is $0.70 per $100 of sale price in every county except Miami-Dade, rounded up to the next $100. On a $400,000 sale, that is $2,800, usually paid by the seller. It cannot be negotiated away; only exempt transfers like spousal transfers, qualifying trusts, gifts, and probate avoid it.
Florida's documentary stamp tax on deeds is set by Florida Statutes Section 201.02. In all Florida counties except Miami-Dade, the rate is $0.70 per $100 (or fractional part thereof) of the total consideration.
Miami-Dade County is the exception: it charges $0.60 per $100 on the deed plus a surtax of $0.45 per $100 (the surtax doesn't apply to single-family dwellings). Everywhere else in Florida, including Broward County, the rate is a flat $0.70 per $100.
The tax is based on the total consideration for the transfer, not just the cash price. Under Section 201.02, consideration includes:
This means if you're selling a house for $500,000 and the buyer is taking over a $200,000 mortgage, the doc stamp tax is calculated on the full $500,000, not just the $300,000 in cash. If the consideration isn't shown on the face of the deed, the tax is calculated on the fair market value of the property.
Florida law requires you to round up to the next $100 before calculating. The statute uses the phrase "for each $100 or fractional part thereof." So a property that sells for $450,050 is taxed as if the price were $450,100.
The math: divide the rounded consideration by 100, then multiply by $0.70.
Florida law lets the parties decide in the contract who pays doc stamps. In practice, the standard arrangement in Broward County is:
If the buyer is paying cash, no mortgage, there are no mortgage doc stamps or intangible tax. The seller still pays the deed doc stamps.
In addition to the tax, Broward County charges recording fees when the deed is recorded:
These are small relative to the tax but still part of the closing costs.
InTym Properties walks through the calculation for a home selling for $546,000 in Broward County: roughly the Fort Lauderdale median.
Step 1: Round up to the next $100.
$546,000 is already a round hundred, so no rounding needed.
Step 2: Divide by 100.
$546,000 ÷ 100 = 5,460
Step 3: Multiply by $0.70.
5,460 × $0.70 = $3,822
The seller pays $3,822 in documentary stamp tax on the deed.
Step 4: Add recording fees.
A typical deed is 2-3 pages. At $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page, recording fees run about $18.50-$27.00. InTym Properties calls it $26.50 for a 3-page deed.
Total seller cost for doc stamps + recording: $3,848.50
For comparison, here's how the tax scales at different price points:
| Sale Price | Doc Stamp Tax | Recording (3 pages) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $2,100 | $26.50 | $2,126.50 |
| $450,000 | $3,150 | $26.50 | $3,176.50 |
| $546,000 | $3,822 | $26.50 | $3,848.50 |
| $750,000 | $5,250 | $26.50 | $5,276.50 |
| $1,000,000 | $7,000 | $26.50 | $7,026.50 |
Not every transfer is subject to doc stamps. Common exemptions include:
If you're transferring property to a family member for $1 or as a gift, the doc stamp tax is minimal, $0.70 for nominal consideration, but you should confirm the exemption applies with a title company or attorney. Some transfers that look like gifts may still trigger the tax if there's an underlying mortgage being discharged.
When you sell to a cash buyer like InTym Properties, the doc stamp tax works exactly the same way: the seller pays $0.70 per $100 of the sale price. The difference is that in a cash sale, there are no buyer-side mortgage doc stamps or intangible tax, which simplifies the closing statement.
The doc stamp amount is shown on the closing disclosure (or HUD-1) as a line item, deducted from the seller's proceeds. The title company collects it and sends it to the state when the deed is recorded. You don't write a separate check: it comes out of your sale proceeds.
Documentary stamp tax is a significant cost, nearly $4,000 on a median-priced Fort Lauderdale home, and it's almost always the seller's responsibility in Broward County. When you're comparing a traditional listing to a cash sale, the doc stamp cost is the same either way. What changes is the timeline, the commission (6% with an agent, $0 with a direct buyer), and the repair costs.
If you're selling in Broward County, factor the doc stamp tax into your net proceeds calculation from the start. It's not a surprise fee: it's a known cost you can calculate before you list.
For a written cash offer on your Broward County home, with all closing costs, including doc stamps, itemized in writing, email hello@intymproperties.com or call/text (650) 540-1854.
doc stamp calculator · florida deed tax
seller-side deed tax only · mortgages add $0.35/$100 + 0.2% intangible tax, paid by the buyer
In every Florida county except Miami-Dade, the documentary stamp tax on a deed is $0.70 per $100 of total consideration under Florida Statutes Section 201.02. Miami-Dade charges $0.60 per $100 plus a $0.45 surtax that doesn't apply to single-family dwellings. The consideration is rounded up to the next $100 before calculating.
Florida law lets the contract decide, but the standard Broward County arrangement is that the seller pays doc stamps on the deed at $0.70 per $100 of the sale price, while the buyer pays doc stamps on the mortgage at $0.35 per $100 plus the 0.2% intangible tax. In a cash sale, only the seller's deed tax applies.
Round the total consideration up to the next $100, divide by 100, then multiply by $0.70. On a $546,000 Broward County sale that produces $3,822 in documentary stamp tax, plus roughly $26.50 in recording fees at $10 for the first page and $8.50 per additional page, for about $3,848.50 total.
Common Florida exemptions include transfers to a revocable trust where the grantor is trustee, transfers between spouses, gifts, foreclosure deeds, and probate transfers by will or intestate succession. Quitclaim deeds with nominal $10 consideration owe only $0.70. Transfers that look like gifts can still be taxed if a mortgage is discharged, so confirm with a title company or attorney.
The math is simple enough to do without a dedicated calculator: take the sale price, round up to the next $100, divide by 100, and multiply by $0.70 in every Florida county except Miami-Dade, which charges $0.60 on single-family homes plus a surtax on other property types. A $400,000 Broward sale owes exactly $2,800; a $750,000 sale owes $5,250.
Only through the exemptions: transfers between spouses, into a qualifying revocable trust, by gift with no mortgage discharged, or through probate all skip the tax. There is no negotiation on an ordinary arm's-length sale, since the tax is computed on the recorded consideration and collected at recording. What a seller can control is the net: a cash sale cuts other line items like commissions and repair credits, even though the deed tax still applies.
Written offer usually within 48 hours, signed by InTym Properties, every number shown. No repairs, no fees, no obligation.
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