Transfer tax when buying a home: 1.5 or 3 percent and when you pay (2026)
The transfer tax is 1.5% on a housing-company share and 3% on real property. The first-home exemption ended in 2024, so budget the tax into every purchase.
Updated: 2026-06-13
The transfer tax is 1.5% of the debt-free price of a housing-company share and 3% of the purchase price of real property. The transfer tax is paid within 2 months of the sale, and because the first-home exemption ended at the start of 2024, a first-home buyer also pays it in full. Budget this sum as soon as you start looking at homes: it is not part of the loan and does not show in the listing price.
How much the tax is in euros
The size of the tax depends on whether you buy a housing-company share (an apartment or terraced-house home) or real property (your own plot, typically a detached house). The tax rate is different, and the base of the tax is also calculated differently.
| What you buy | Tax rate | Calculated from | Example | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing-company share | 1.5% | debt-free price (sale price + share of company loan) | 200,000 e | 3,000 e |
| Real property | 3% | purchase price | 300,000 e | 9,000 e |
For a housing-company share the tax is calculated from the debt-free price, not from the sale price alone. If the housing company has a loan, the share of which falls on the home, this company loan is counted into the tax base. Many buyers are surprised when a low sale price and a large share of the company loan mean a higher tax than calculating from the visible price alone would suggest.
Example: if the home’s sale price is 150,000 e and the share of the company loan is 50,000 e, the debt-free price is 200,000 e and the tax 3,000 e, not 2,250 e.
The first-home exemption has ended
The first-home exemption from the transfer tax ended on 1 January 2024. The exemption now only applies to purchases whose deed of sale was signed by 31 December 2023 at the latest. Old guidance online therefore easily misleads.
If you buy your first home now, you pay the transfer tax exactly like any other buyer. A first home no longer brings a tax break. If you have read an older guide or heard from someone you know that you do not have to pay on a first home, that information is out of date.
The ASP scheme’s other benefits, such as the interest subsidy and the state guarantee, are a separate matter and have nothing to do with the transfer tax. The tax does not affect them.
When and how the tax is paid
The payment deadline depends on the type of purchase.
| Situation | When it is paid |
|---|---|
| Housing-company share, through an agent | At the time of the sale (the agent often handles the return) |
| Housing-company share, without an agent | Within 2 months of signing the deed of sale |
| Real property | When applying for registration of title (lainhuuto), within 6 months of the purchase |
The general rule is 2 months from the sale for housing-company shares. In an agent-led purchase the tax is typically handled at the closing, so make sure in advance that the money is ready. The tax is paid in the OmaVero service, and the transfer-tax return is filed at the same time. Without the return you do not get the certificate that, for example, the housing company or the bank may ask for.
When buying real property the tax is tied to registration of title, that is the recording of ownership. Registration is applied for within 6 months of the purchase, and the transfer tax has to be paid before that. A late payment brings an increase, so mark the date in your calendar right after the sale.
Why it pays to budget this in advance
The transfer tax is one of the largest one-off purchase costs alongside the loan and the deposit. On a 300,000-euro detached house it is 9,000 e, which has to come from your own funds. The bank usually does not finance the transfer tax as part of the mortgage, so it eats directly into your own capital.
A practical rule of thumb for budgeting:
| Property | Price | Transfer tax |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment-block home | 250,000 e | 3,750 e |
| Terraced-house home | 320,000 e | 4,800 e |
| Detached house | 400,000 e | 12,000 e |
When you estimate how much of your own money you need, count in the transfer tax, any agent’s commission (in a sale through the seller, rarely on the buyer), the condition inspection, and moving costs. These do not show in the home’s asking price, but they are real euros that you need at the time of the sale.
The rates last changed on 12 October 2023, when the tax on shares fell from 2 percent to 1.5 percent and on real property from 4 percent to 3 percent. So today’s figures are lower than before, but in euros it is still thousands. If you are comparing several homes, it pays to calculate the transfer tax separately for each, because the share of the company loan varies by home and can change the order of the total cost.
When you paste a home’s listing into Heimer, the transfer tax is calculated from the debt-free price automatically as part of the total cost, so you see straight away what your own money stretches to.
Terms to know
Common questions
Does a first-home buyer pay the transfer tax in 2026?
Yes. The first-home exemption from the transfer tax ended on 1 January 2024. The exemption now only applies to purchases whose deed of sale was signed by 31 December 2023 at the latest. A first-home buyer now pays the tax exactly like everyone else: 1.5% on a housing-company share or 3% on real property.
Is the transfer tax 1.5 or 3 percent?
It depends on what you buy. On a housing-company share (an apartment or terraced-house home) the tax is 1.5% of the debt-free price. On real property (for example a detached house on its own plot) the tax is 3% of the purchase price.
Is the transfer tax calculated from the sale price or the debt-free price?
On a housing-company share the tax is calculated from the debt-free price, that is the sale price plus the home’s share of the company loan. For example, a 150,000 e sale price and a 50,000 e share of the company loan means a 200,000 e debt-free price and 3,000 e of tax.
When does the transfer tax have to be paid?
For a housing-company share, within 2 months of signing the deed of sale. In an agent-led purchase the tax is usually handled at the time of the sale. For real property the tax is paid before applying for registration of title (lainhuuto), and registration is applied for within 6 months of the purchase.
How much is the transfer tax on a 200,000-euro home?
On a housing-company share with a 200,000-euro debt-free price the tax is 3,000 e (1.5%). If it is a 200,000-euro real property, the tax is 6,000 e (3%).
Does the bank finance the transfer tax?
Usually not. The transfer tax typically has to be paid from your own funds at the time of the sale, so budget it alongside the deposit and other purchase costs. On a 300,000-euro real property it is 9,000 e.
How is the transfer tax reported and paid?
The tax is paid and the transfer-tax return is filed in the OmaVero service. From the return you get a certificate that the housing company or bank may ask for. In a real-property purchase the payment is tied to applying for registration of title with the National Land Survey (Maanmittauslaitos).
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