City of Pittsburgh realty transfer tax is 5%.
Not the customary 2%. City of Pittsburgh levies a municipal share of 3%, so a transfer here costs more than the same transfer a few minutes away. Here is the split, what it costs at real prices, and where the numbers come from.
The rate, broken out
| Component | Pittsburgh SD | Baldwin-Whitehall SD |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | 1.00% | 1.00% |
| City of Pittsburgh | 3% | 3% |
| School district | 1% | 0.5% |
| Total | 5% | 4.5% |
Municipal share for Pittsburgh, City of from Allegheny County, “Local Realty Transfer Tax Rates”. Rates are unofficial; confirm before relying on them for a closing.
What that costs
| Sale price | Tax here | At 2% | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $7,500 | $3,000 | $4,500 more |
| $250,000 | $12,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 more |
| $400,000 | $20,000 | $8,000 | $12,000 more |
By custom the transfer tax is split evenly between buyer and seller, but the agreement of sale can allocate it differently. Each side pays half of the figures above unless the agreement says otherwise.
Why this catches people out
Most of Westmoreland and Allegheny comes to 2% — 1% to the Commonwealth, 0.5% to the municipality, 0.5% to the school district. Roughly twenty municipalities across the two counties do not, and a quote built on the 2% assumption is wrong by real money on every one of them. On a $250,000 sale in City of Pittsburgh the gap is $7,500.
It is the transfer tax line, not the title premium, that goes wrong on a Loan Estimate out here. The premium is a filed rate; the transfer tax depends on which side of a municipal line the property sits.
Every municipality in Westmoreland and Allegheny →
Run the whole closing cost estimate →
For lenders: where title fees go wrong on an LE →
Closing in City of Pittsburgh?
Attorney-reviewed title work across Westmoreland, Allegheny and the surrounding counties. Call 724-733-7700 or run an instant estimate.
Get an instant quote Call 724-733-7700