Who pays property taxes when you sell?

The split, worked out

A $4,800 yearly tax, a calendar tax year, and a closing on June 30, 2026. January 1 to June 29 is 180 days, the seller's; the other 185 days are the buyer's.

• Not paid yet: you owe 180/365 of $4,800 = $2,367, charged to you at closing.
• Already paid: the buyer credits you 185/365 of $4,800 = $2,433.

The two add up to the year's tax, so the split only moves who pays which days.

What sellers ask next

Who pays property taxes when you sell a house?

Both, by the day. The year's tax is split at closing: the seller pays for the days they owned the home and the buyer for the rest. Who actually writes the check to the county depends on whether the bill is already paid.

What if I already paid this year's tax?

Then the buyer credits you for the days after closing, on the settlement statement. Pick 'already paid' to see the credit.

What if the tax is paid in arrears?

In many places the bill comes after the year it covers. Then you owe your days of a bill nobody has paid yet, charged to you at closing and usually estimated from last year's bill.

Who owns the closing day?

Contracts differ. This calculator counts the closing day as the buyer's, as many contracts do; check yours, since one day moves the split by one day's tax.

My tax year does not start in January. Does that matter?

Yes. The split counts days from the start of the tax year your county uses. Pick July 1 or October 1 above if that is yours.

General information, not tax, legal or financial advice.

Related

• The full net sheet
• Cost to sell a house
• Selling a house with a mortgage
• Seller concessions