Florida Documentary Stamp Tax on Deeds and Mortgages: A Plain-English Guide

Published October 9, 2026 · Recalde & Friedman, PLLC

Three taxes, one closing

A typical financed Florida purchase triggers three state taxes:

1. Documentary stamp tax on the deed: 70¢ per $100 of consideration (§ 201.02, Fla. Stat.(1)(a)), except in Miami-Dade.
2. Documentary stamp tax on the note and mortgage: 35¢ per $100 of the debt (§ 201.08, Fla. Stat.).
3. Nonrecurring intangible tax on the mortgage: 2 mills, or 0.2% (§ 199.133, Fla. Stat.).

Miami-Dade is different

The Department of Revenue explains that in Miami-Dade County the deed rate is 60¢ per $100. Miami-Dade also levies a discretionary surtax of 45¢ per $100 on deeds, except when the property conveyed is only a single-family residence (§ 201.031, Fla. Stat.; § 125.0167, Fla. Stat.). Under section 201.031, a single-family residence can be a condominium unit, a cooperative unit, or a detached dwelling. So a Miami-Dade condo or house sale pays 60¢, while a duplex, apartment building, commercial property or vacant lot pays 60¢ + 45¢ = $1.05 per $100.

Rounding: "or portion thereof"

The tax is charged on each $100 or portion thereof, so you always round the taxable amount up to the next $100. The Department of Revenue's examples:

• $180,000 deed (outside Miami-Dade) → 1,800 × $0.70 = $1,260.
• $225,132.75 single-family deed in Miami-Dade → 2,252 × $0.60 = $1,351.20.
• $500,000 vacant lot in Miami-Dade → $3,000 + $2,250 surtax = $5,250.

What is "consideration"?

Consideration includes the money paid or agreed to be paid, the discharge of an obligation, and the amount of any mortgage or other encumbrance on the property, whether or not the underlying debt is assumed (§ 201.02, Fla. Stat.(1)(a)). That's why transfers subject to an existing mortgage, including some transfers to an LLC, can carry doc stamps even when no cash changes hands.

Notes and mortgages

Promissory notes are taxed at 35¢ per $100, and the tax on a note alone is capped at $2,450 (§ 201.08, Fla. Stat.(1)(a)). Mortgages filed or recorded in Florida are taxed at the same rate with no cap (§ 201.08, Fla. Stat.(1)(b)). In a typical closing, the tax is paid once, on the recorded mortgage securing the note.

Intangible tax

The nonrecurring intangible tax is 2 mills (0.002) of the obligation secured by a mortgage on Florida real property (§ 199.133, Fla. Stat.). A $400,000 loan carries $800 of intangible tax and $1,400 of mortgage doc stamps.

Who pays?

The statute imposes the tax, but the purchase contract decides who bears it between buyer and seller. Read the closing cost paragraph of your contract.

Run your numbers with our Florida doc stamp calculator.