1. THE LEGAL HISTORY, INCONGRUOUS VARIATIONS, AND OUTER REACHES OF THE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX.
- Author
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Szypszak, Charles
- Subjects
- *
REAL estate transfer tax , *REAL property & taxation , *TAX rates , *TAX exemption , *TAX laws - Abstract
Real estate transfer taxes have been around a long time, but they receive scarcely any attention in public discussions about tax law and policy. While real estate practitioners may be familiar with a transfer tax in their work, they and their clients may not know how much it can vary in other states or consider how the variations can affect real estate prices and investment. Although real estate transfer taxes are a relatively small contributor to state tax revenues, they can be financially weighty to those buying or selling real estate, amounting to several thousand dollars or more. This Article provides background about the evolution of the real estate transfer tax, from a colonial stamp tax to a widely varying state tax. Some states’ constitutions forbid it; some states aim a tax at common real estate transactions; other states impose a tax at a relatively high rate and extend it even to complex transfers of interests in real estate holding companies. This Article examines the legal basis for the tax, describes its formulations, and analyzes the dynamics of its impact. The analysis includes consideration of two significant issues about the outer reaches of state transfer taxes: their application to foreclosures, including when there are claims of federal exemption, and when there is a transfer of control without a conveyance by deed. * [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022