The NC excise tax on selling a home: what it is, who pays, and what it costs

When you sell a home in North Carolina, the state charges an excise tax on the deed that transfers it: $1 for every $500 of the sale price, and the seller pays it.

You will also hear it called revenue stamps or deed stamps. It shows up on the seller's side of the closing statement, separate from your property tax, your agent's commission, and anything you may owe on your gain. It is small compared to the other costs of selling, which is exactly why it gets left out of a rough estimate of what you will walk away with.

The rate and how it is calculated

The rate is set by state statute, G.S. 105-228.30. It is one dollar on each five hundred dollars, or fractional part of that, of the consideration or value of the interest conveyed. In a normal sale, that means the sale price.

The calculation takes three steps:

1. Divide the sale price by $500.
2. Round up to the next whole number, because a partial $500 still counts as a full one.
3. Multiply by $1.

When the price is a multiple of $500, the tax works out to $2 per $1,000. The rounding only matters when it is not.

Illustrative sale prices. The tax is calculated on the actual consideration stated in your deed.

Who pays it, and when

The statute puts the obligation on the transferor, the person conveying the property, which in a sale is the seller. It has to be paid to the register of deeds of the county where the property sits before the deed can be recorded. For a Charlotte home, that means the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds.

The standard Offer to Purchase and Contract says the same thing from the contract side: the seller pays for preparing the deed and for state and county excise taxes, along with any local conveyance fees required by law. North Carolina is an attorney closing state, which I explain in my home buying timeline, and in practice your closing attorney typically handles the payment at closing, out of your proceeds.

Where the money goes

The statute splits the proceeds evenly. The county keeps half for its general fund, and the other half goes to the state Department of Revenue, less a small collection allowance the county may retain.

Are any transfers exempt?

Yes. G.S. 105-228.29 lists the exemptions, and they include gifts, transfers by will or intestacy, transfers where no consideration is paid, and instruments that secure a debt, such as a deed of trust. An ordinary arm's-length sale for a price is not among them. If your situation involves a family transfer, a trust, or an estate, ask your attorney whether the tax applies before you assume either way.

What it is not

• It is not your property tax. Property tax is an annual bill based on assessed value. The excise tax is a one-time charge on the transfer. I cover the annual bill in my guide to property taxes in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
• It is not a capital gains tax. Any tax on your profit from the sale is an income tax matter, separate from the deed stamps, and worth a conversation with a tax professional before you sell.
• It is not the buyer's recording fee. The contract makes the buyer responsible for recording the deed. The Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds' uniform fee schedule lists $26 for the first 15 pages of a general recorded document such as a deed, and $4 for each page after that, as of September 2026.

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What else belongs on a seller's net sheet

The excise tax is one of several seller-side items. Based on the standard contract, a seller should expect to account for:

• Preparation of the deed and other documents needed to complete the sale.
• State and county excise taxes, which is this article.
• Any deferred, discounted, or rollback taxes and local conveyance fees required by law.
• Property taxes and dues prorated through the date of closing.
• Any seller concessions you negotiated toward the buyer's costs.
• Your mortgage payoff and your agent's compensation, which is negotiated and not set by law.

The mistake: estimating proceeds as sale price minus mortgage balance minus commission, and then being surprised by the smaller items at the closing table. Each one is modest on its own. Together they are the difference between the number you expected and the number on the wire. Ask for a written net sheet before you list, and ask again when you accept an offer, since concessions and closing date change it. If you are weighing a sale, you can request a free home estimate as a starting point.

The full sale process, from pricing to closing day, is in my guide to selling your home in Charlotte.

Sources: N.C. Gen. Stat. 105-228.30; N.C. Gen. Stat. Article 8E, including 105-228.29; Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds Uniform Fee Schedule; NC Standard Form 2-T, Offer to Purchase and Contract (revised 7/2025); Mecklenburg County Office of Tax Administration.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

Buying and Selling Your Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Home in Charlotte The full sale process, from pricing to closing day. Buying and Selling Property Taxes in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County The other tax on a home, and how it differs from this one.