Property tax, transfer tax and closing costs in Kentucky

Kentucky: Real estate transfer tax of $0.50 per $500 of value or fraction thereof. Seller (grantor) pays by statute. Annual assessment as of January 1, with physical inspection at least every four years.

Reviewed October 15, 2026. Every line links its statute or official source.

What Kentucky sets

Transfer tax: Real estate transfer tax of $0.50 per $500 of value or fraction thereof. Source: revenue.ky.gov
Who customarily pays: Seller (grantor) pays by statute. Source: revenue.ky.gov
Local transfer taxes: Not stated. No official source confirmed this yet.
Reassessment cycle: Annual assessment as of January 1, with physical inspection at least every four years. Source: revenue.ky.gov
Homestead and other exemptions: Homestead exemption of $49,100 of assessed value (2025 to 2026) for owners 65 and over or totally disabled. Source: revenue.ky.gov
Owner’s title policy: Not stated. No official source confirmed this yet.
How closings run: Attorney closings are customary. Source: kybar.org
Survey: Not stated. No official source confirmed this yet.
Other closing customs: Not stated. No official source confirmed this yet.

Kentucky transfer tax on a $206,000 sale

State real estate transfer taxseller pays$206$206,000 ÷ $500 = 412 units (rounded up for any fraction) × $0.50 = $206

seller pays: $206
Total transfer tax: $206

Statutory transfer taxes on a $206,000 sale, as of the reviewed date. Who pays is custom and contract outside the statute’s primary liability. Local taxes described above are not in this figure unless listed as a line. Recording fees, title and attorney charges are separate.

Open the Kentucky transfer tax calculator, with a link to share and an embed for your site.

Typical property tax in Kentucky

Median real-estate tax paid: $1,544 a year
Per month: $129
Median owner-occupied home value: $205,600
Effective rate they imply: 0.75%

Census American Community Survey five-year file, 2020-2024, tables B25103 and B25077, owner-occupied homes. The median bill rose 28% against the 2015-2019 file. An estimate for a typical home, not yours. Your bill depends on the parcel, its exemptions and the next reassessment.

For agents

Your buyers ask what closing costs in Kentucky and who pays. This page answers from the statute, with the date it was checked. Send it, or embed the calculator on your own site.

Ike lets a licensed real estate agent originate the mortgage on the deals they already close. Expected compensation is about 100 basis points per eligible funded loan once licensed and sponsored. Ike is preparing licenses state by state.

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One email when Kentucky rates, exemptions or transfer taxes change, and when the next reassessment lands.

Sources

Ike Mortgage LLC. NMLS ID pending. For licensing information, go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Nothing on this page is a loan payment, rate, term or down payment, and nothing here is a Loan Estimate.