Florida Doc Stamps and Intangible Tax: A Plain-English Guide

Documentary stamp taxes are one of those Florida-specific closing costs that catch buyers off guard — especially anyone moving here from a state that does not use this system. I walk through them on nearly every transaction I close. The math is straightforward once you understand the structure, but the terminology is confusing and the rules differ by county and loan type.

This post covers the three charges you need to know: doc stamps on the deed, doc stamps on the promissory note (mortgage), and the intangible tax on the mortgage. I will show you the exact rates, who customarily pays each one, and worked examples on a $400,000 and $750,000 purchase.

What Are Documentary Stamp Taxes?

Documentary stamp taxes — doc stamps — are an excise tax the state of Florida charges on certain written instruments when they are recorded in the public record. For real estate transactions, two documents trigger the tax: the deed and the promissory note (or mortgage).

They are collected by the county clerk at the time of recording, not by your lender or title company — though in practice your title company handles the calculation and payment on your behalf at closing.

The Florida Department of Revenue administers the tax under Chapter 201 of the Florida Statutes. Rates have been stable for years; they did not change for 2024.

Doc Stamps on the Deed: $0.70 per $100

When a property changes ownership, the deed must be recorded. Florida charges $0.70 per $100 of the sale price on that deed — or more precisely, $0.70 on each $100 or portion thereof. You always round up to the next $100.

This applies in every Florida county except Miami-Dade, which has its own rate structure covered below.

The tax is based on the total consideration — the actual purchase price, not the appraised value. If you pay $400,000 for a home in Pinellas County, the deed stamp is calculated on $400,000.

Calculation Example — $400,000 Home (Non-Miami-Dade)

• $400,000 ÷ $100 = 4,000 units
• 4,000 × $0.70 = $2,800 in deed stamps
• Customarily paid by: the seller

Calculation Example — $750,000 Home (Non-Miami-Dade)

• $750,000 ÷ $100 = 7,500 units
• 7,500 × $0.70 = $5,250 in deed stamps
• Customarily paid by: the seller

Miami-Dade Is Different

Miami-Dade County charges a lower base rate on deeds — $0.60 per $100 — but adds a $0.45 surtax on most property types, bringing the effective rate to $1.05 per $100.

The surtax exemption for single-family homes: if the deed transfers only a single-family residence, the $0.45 surtax does not apply. The rate stays at $0.60 per $100.

• Single-family home in Miami-Dade: $0.60 per $100
• Condo, multi-family, or commercial in Miami-Dade: $1.05 per $100 ($0.60 + $0.45 surtax)
• All other Florida counties: $0.70 per $100

If you are buying a condo in Brickell or a duplex in Wynwood, budget at the $1.05 rate, not $0.60. The surtax exemption is property-type specific — not buyer-type specific.

Doc Stamps on the Mortgage Note: $0.35 per $100

When you take out a mortgage, the promissory note is a separate taxable document. Florida charges $0.35 per $100 of the loan amount on the note — that is, the amount you are borrowing, not the purchase price.

This applies to purchase loans, refinances, home equity loans, and lines of credit. If you refinance later, you pay doc stamps again on the new note.

Customarily, the buyer pays the note stamp, because the buyer is the one taking on the debt.

Calculation Example — $400,000 Home, 80% LTV ($320,000 loan)

• $320,000 ÷ $100 = 3,200 units
• 3,200 × $0.35 = $1,120 in note stamps
• Customarily paid by: the buyer

Calculation Example — $750,000 Home, 80% LTV ($600,000 loan)

• $600,000 ÷ $100 = 6,000 units
• 6,000 × $0.35 = $2,100 in note stamps
• Customarily paid by: the buyer

Intangible Tax on the Mortgage: $0.20 per $100

On top of the note stamp, Florida charges an intangible tax on new mortgages — $0.20 per $100 of the loan amount. It is a separate line item, not part of the doc stamp calculation.

Like the note stamp, the intangible tax is based on the loan amount and is paid by the buyer. It applies to purchase mortgages, refinances, and new home equity loans.

Cash buyers pay neither the note stamp nor the intangible tax — there is no mortgage document to tax.

Calculation Example — $320,000 Loan

• $320,000 ÷ $100 = 3,200 units
• 3,200 × $0.20 = $640 in intangible tax
• Customarily paid by: the buyer

Calculation Example — $600,000 Loan

• $600,000 ÷ $100 = 6,000 units
• 6,000 × $0.20 = $1,200 in intangible tax
• Customarily paid by: the buyer

Full Closing Cost Summary by Purchase Price

Putting it together for two common price points in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida market:

$400,000 Purchase — 80% LTV ($320,000 Loan)

• Deed stamp (seller pays): $2,800
• Note stamp (buyer pays): $1,120
• Intangible tax (buyer pays): $640
• Total buyer tax exposure: $1,760
• Total seller tax exposure: $2,800

$750,000 Purchase — 80% LTV ($600,000 Loan)

• Deed stamp (seller pays): $5,250
• Note stamp (buyer pays): $2,100
• Intangible tax (buyer pays): $1,200
• Total buyer tax exposure: $3,300
• Total seller tax exposure: $5,250

“Doc stamps and intangible tax together can add $1,500–$3,500 to a buyer's closing costs on a typical Central Florida purchase. Budget for them early — lenders are required to disclose them on the Loan Estimate, but many first-time buyers are still surprised when they see the numbers.”

Who Pays What: Customs vs. Contract

The customary split in Florida is clear: sellers pay the deed stamp, buyers pay the note stamp and intangible tax. But it is a custom, not a law. The purchase and sale agreement is what actually controls.

In a buyer's market, sellers occasionally offer to cover the note stamp or intangible tax as a concession. In a competitive multiple-offer situation, some buyers have offered to absorb the deed stamp to make their offer stand out without raising the price.

Whatever the negotiation outcome, make sure it is spelled out in the contract. I have seen last-minute disputes at the closing table when the Closing Disclosure shows a different allocation than what both parties thought they agreed to verbally.

Why Out-of-State Buyers Get Caught Off Guard

Most states do not use documentary stamp taxes — they use transfer taxes with different names and structures, or they have no real property transfer tax at all. Buyers moving to Florida from Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, or the Midwest often encounter this line item for the first time on their Loan Estimate.

The intangible tax is even less familiar — it has no equivalent in most states. It was originally a tax on the intangible value of financial instruments, and Florida has kept it specifically on new mortgages while eliminating it on other asset classes.

The practical takeaway for first-time Florida buyers: add approximately 0.35% of your loan amount for note stamps plus 0.20% for the intangible tax to your cash-to-close estimate. On a $320,000 loan, that is $1,760 — a real number that needs to be in your budget from day one.

For more context on the full range of Florida closing costs, including title insurance, escrow fees, and prepaid items, see my breakdown of closing costs for first-time buyers in Florida at /blog/closing-costs-first-time-buyer-florida.

Common Questions

Do I pay doc stamps if I am paying cash?

You still pay the deed stamp — that is based on the purchase price, not the financing. But there is no mortgage or promissory note, so you skip the note stamp and the intangible tax entirely. Cash buyers only face the deed-side costs, and those are customarily paid by the seller.

Are doc stamps due on a refinance?

Yes on the note stamp and intangible tax — a refinance creates a new promissory note, and both taxes apply to the new loan amount. No deed stamp is owed on a refinance because ownership is not transferring.

Is there a Florida doc stamp calculator I can use?

The formulas are simple enough to run yourself: (loan amount ÷ 100) × 0.35 for the note stamp, and (loan amount ÷ 100) × 0.20 for the intangible tax. For the deed stamp, replace the loan amount with the purchase price and multiply by 0.70 (or 0.60 if single-family in Miami-Dade). Your title company will confirm the exact figures on the Closing Disclosure, but running the math yourself takes about 30 seconds and removes any surprises.

Can doc stamps be financed into the loan?

No. They are collected at closing and cannot be rolled into the mortgage. They are a cash-to-close item, which is why they matter in the early planning stages of a purchase.

If you are buying in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, or anywhere in the Tampa Bay region and want to run through closing cost numbers before you start shopping, reach out. I work through these figures with every buyer I represent — before we ever write an offer.