Property tax, transfer tax and closing costs in Maine

Maine: Real estate transfer tax of $2.20 per $500 of value or fraction thereof ($4.40 per $1,000), imposed half on the buyer and half on the seller. Split equally between buyer and seller by statute. Annual assessment as of April 1 by each municipality, with revaluation when the assessment ratio drops below state standards.

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

What Maine sets

Transfer tax: Real estate transfer tax of $2.20 per $500 of value or fraction thereof ($4.40 per $1,000), imposed half on the buyer and half on the seller. Source: maine.gov
Who customarily pays: Split equally between buyer and seller by statute. Source: maine.gov
Local transfer taxes: Not stated. No official source confirmed this yet.
Reassessment cycle: Annual assessment as of April 1 by each municipality, with revaluation when the assessment ratio drops below state standards. Source: maine.gov
Homestead and other exemptions: Homestead exemption of $25,000 of just value for a permanent residence owned for at least 12 months. Source: maine.gov
Owner’s title policy: Not stated. No official source confirmed this yet.
How closings run: Attorney and title company closings are both common. Source: mainebar.org
Survey: Not stated. No official source confirmed this yet.
Other closing customs: Not stated. No official source confirmed this yet.

Maine transfer tax on a $297,000 sale

State transfer tax, buyer sharebuyer pays$653.40$297,000 ÷ $500 = 594 units (rounded up for any fraction) × $1.10 = $653.40
State transfer tax, seller shareseller pays$653.40$297,000 ÷ $500 = 594 units (rounded up for any fraction) × $1.10 = $653.40

buyer pays: $653.40
seller pays: $653.40
Total transfer tax: $1,306.80

Statutory transfer taxes on a $297,000 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 Maine transfer tax calculator, with a link to share and an embed for your site.

Typical property tax in Maine

Median real-estate tax paid: $3,036 a year
Per month: $253
Median owner-occupied home value: $296,600
Effective rate they imply: 1.02%

Census American Community Survey five-year file, 2020-2024, tables B25103 and B25077, owner-occupied homes. The median bill rose 17% 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 Maine 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 Maine 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.