How much are transfer taxes when selling a home in Greenwich, Connecticut?
When you sell a home in Greenwich, CT, you pay two layers of conveyance tax: Connecticut's tiered state tax and Greenwich's municipal tax. On a $3 million sale, the combined total pushes into the mid-$40,000 range — a number that surprises most sellers who've only looked at commission and attorney fees. Connecticut's state tax is tiered at 0.75% up to $800K, 1.25% up to $2.5M, and 2.25% above that threshold. Greenwich adds a flat 0.25% municipal tax on the full sale price. Understanding these costs before you list — not at the closing table — is how you protect your net.
By Charles Nedder | May 18, 2026
Most sellers in Greenwich focus on two numbers when they're thinking about net proceeds: the sale price and the commission. Those are the big ones. But there's a third number that quietly takes a meaningful chunk — and most sellers don't see it until they're reviewing the settlement statement at closing.
Transfer taxes.
In this short, Charles breaks down exactly what sellers pay on a $3 million home sale in Greenwich — and why the total is higher than most people expect.
Connecticut's Conveyance Tax Is Tiered — and It Gets Expensive at the Top
Connecticut doesn't charge a flat transfer tax rate. It uses a tiered structure that ratchets up as the sale price increases. Here's how it breaks down for a residential sale:
- 0.75% on the first $800,000 of the sale price
- 1.25% on the amount between $800,001 and $2,500,000
- 2.25% on anything above $2,500,000
On a $3 million sale, that math works out like this:
- $800,000 × 0.75% = $6,000
- $1,700,000 × 1.25% = $21,250
- $500,000 × 2.25% = $11,250
- State total: $38,500
That's before Greenwich adds its piece.
Greenwich's Municipal Conveyance Tax
The Town of Greenwich charges an additional municipal conveyance tax of 0.25% applied across the entire sale price — not just the portion above a threshold.
On a $3 million sale: $3,000,000 × 0.25% = $7,500.
Add that to the state tax of $38,500 and you're at $46,000 in transfer taxes alone — before attorney fees, commission, or any seller concessions.
That's not a rounding error in your net proceeds calculation. That's a real number that should be in your head before you accept an offer.
Before you list, you should know exactly what you'll walk away with. The Charles Nedder Team builds a detailed net sheet for every seller client — purchase price, taxes, commission, attorney fees, and any credits — so there are no surprises on closing day. Download our real estate app to start tracking your home's value and market activity.
What This Means for Your Net Proceeds
Here's a simplified example for a $3M Greenwich home sale:
- Sale price: $3,000,000
- State conveyance tax: −$38,500
- Municipal conveyance tax: −$7,500
- Commission (5%): −$150,000
- Attorney fees (estimate): −$3,000–$5,000
- Gross net before mortgage payoff: ~$2,799,000–$2,801,000
If you're carrying a mortgage, subtract that balance. If you made capital improvements, your tax basis affects what you owe in capital gains. The point: the gap between sale price and what lands in your bank account is almost always larger than sellers initially expect.
This is especially relevant if you're selling a Greenwich home priced near or above $2.5M, because that's where Connecticut's top conveyance rate of 2.25% kicks in. A seller at $2.6M pays meaningfully more than a seller at $2.4M — not just on the $200K above the threshold, but in total tax structure. Pricing strategy and your net sheet should be built together, not separately.
When to Run These Numbers
The right time to calculate your transfer tax exposure is before you set a listing price — not after you're in contract.
Why? Because knowing your true net at different price points helps you decide where to set the list price, whether to accept a lower offer with favorable terms, and how to evaluate seller concession requests without giving away more than you realize.
The sellers I work with who feel most confident at closing are the ones who've seen a full net sheet early in the process — before the sign goes up, before the first showing, before anyone makes an offer. The numbers don't change what the market will pay for your home. But they do change how you negotiate once you know exactly what each dollar on the contract means to your bottom line.
If you're thinking about selling a Greenwich home in 2026 and want to understand your true net before you list, download the Charles Nedder Team app and reach out directly. We'll build the numbers with you, not for you.
About Charles Nedder
Charles Nedder is a top Realtor and Team Leader in Greenwich, CT and Westchester County, NY, specializing in luxury real estate, home sales, and relocation. As CEO of The Charles Nedder Team — the #1 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices team in Connecticut — he helps clients buy and sell homes with confidence using advanced marketing, market analytics, and strong negotiation. Connect with Charles at www.thecharlesnedderteam.com or call (203) 654-7533.
