Property

Stamp duty, transfer tax and closing costs

The current transfer tax rate and who pays it, the stamp duty and NLA registration fee that are shared, title search and search certificate fees, and the other costs that turn a purchase price into a completion statement, each with the TAJ or NLA page it comes from.

By Simone Reid, Property & Rebuild Editor · Reviewed 21 Aug 2026

government pageSource: Tax Administration Jamaicachecked 21 Aug 2026

On this page

Jamaican property transactions carry a short list of government charges and a longer list of private ones. The government charges are published by Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) and the National Land Agency (NLA), although not always on one page and not always up to date, which is why people quote three different transfer tax rates at the same dinner table. This guide uses the most recent official figure for each item and tells you where it came from.

Transfer tax

TAJ's notice of 3 April 2019 announced a reduction in the transfer tax payable on the transfer of property from 5 percent to 2 percent with effect from 1 April 2019, assessed on the market value of the property. TAJ's stamp duty and transfer tax page states that transfer tax is borne by the vendor, that it is payable before the property is transferred, and that properties cannot be legally transferred unless transfer tax and stamp duty have been paid.

A warning about stale pages: TAJ's FAQ still shows 4 percent. The 2019 notice is the current rule. If a seller's attorney quotes 5 percent to pad a completion statement, point them to it.

Two estate-related points: the same notice raised the transfer tax threshold for a deceased person's estate from J$100,000 to J$10,000,000, and TAJ's stamp duty and transfer tax page lists the principal place of residence among the exemptions and states, quoting paragraph 17(3) of the First Schedule to the Transfer Tax Act, that 6 percent a year is paid on tax outstanding after twelve months from the date of death.

Stamp duty

Stamp duty is charged on the transfer documents and, according to TAJ, ad valorem documents must be stamped within 30 days after execution. The current flat amount for a property transfer was not readable on TAJ's site on our review date because the rates document is an image. The only official statement we found is a 2022 JIS feature quoting an NLA official: vendor and purchaser share the stamp duty cost of J$5,000. Treat that as the best available figure and confirm it with your attorney; it is a small number next to the rest.

On first registration of previously unregistered land, TAJ states that no transfer tax is payable and only one-third conveyance duty applies.

NLA registration fee

The Titles Office charges a registration fee on the transfer. JIS, quoting the NLA, reports it as 0.5 percent of the consideration, shared between purchaser and vendor. The NLA price list expresses the same rate as J$5 for every J$1,000 or part thereof above J$2,000. Transfers not for value, leases and similar dealings carry a flat fee of J$5,000.

Searches and certificates

From the NLA price list (Fee No. 14 for the search certificate, Fee No. 15 for the stay order) and its guidance note on search certificates:

Item	Fee
Title search (volume and folio)	J$500
Strata plan search	J$500
Search certificate (per title; issued within 48 hours)	J$1,000
Order for stay of registration (48-hour hold)	J$3,000
Caveat	J$60 card fee plus 0.5 percent of the interest claimed

Private costs

Attorney. Each side pays its own. Fees are not regulated by a published tariff; get a quote in writing before instructing.
Agreement for sale. JIS reports an industry standard of about J$100,000 for preparing it.
Deposit. Usually 10 percent, per JIS, held under the agreement. The NHT requires at least 5 percent and a sale agreement of at least 90 days.
Valuation. Required by lenders; the NHT wants one no more than one year old.
Survey. A commissioned surveyor's identification report; no official tariff exists.
Lender fees. Processing, legal and insurance requirements vary by lender; ask for the schedule.

A worked outline

For a J$20 million house sold at market value, the vendor's transfer tax is J$400,000. The registration fee of 0.5 percent is J$100,000, split J$50,000 each. Stamp duty, using the JIS figure, is J$5,000 split J$2,500 each. The purchaser then adds attorney, valuation, survey, searches and any lender costs. The buyer's government charges on that purchase are therefore small; the big numbers on the buyer's side are professional fees and the deposit.

What JaRanks cannot do

JaRanks cannot prepare a completion statement, assess transfer tax on your transaction, or confirm an exemption. Figures are quoted from TAJ and NLA pages on the review date; where the official page could not be read, we said so and cited the best available official statement. Your attorney's completion statement, checked against TAJ's current pages, is the authority.

Steps

Transfer tax, paid by the vendor
Two percent of the market value of the property for documents dated on or after 1 April 2019, down from five percent. TAJ states transfer tax is borne by the vendor and that property cannot be legally transferred until transfer tax and stamp duty are paid.
Agency
Tax Administration Jamaica
Cost
2 percent of market value (vendor)
Stamp duty on the transfer, shared
Stamp duty must be paid within 30 days of the document being executed. An NLA official quoted by JIS in 2022 put the stamp duty on a property transfer at J$5,000, shared between vendor and purchaser. TAJ's own rate page for property transfers was an image we could not read on the review date, so confirm the current figure with TAJ or your attorney.
Agency
Tax Administration Jamaica
Cost
J$5,000 shared (JIS 2022 figure)
Time
Within 30 days of execution
NLA registration fee, shared
The Titles Office registration fee is 0.5 percent of the consideration, shared between purchaser and vendor. The NLA price list expresses it as J$5 for every J$1,000 or part above J$2,000. Transfers not for value, such as gifts, pay a flat J$5,000.
Agency
National Land Agency
Cost
0.5 percent of the price (shared)
Searches and certificates
Title search J$500, strata plan search J$500, search certificate J$1,000 (issued within 48 hours), order for stay of registration J$3,000, caveat J$60 card fee plus 0.5 percent of the interest claimed.
Agency
National Land Agency
Cost
J$500 to J$3,000 per item
Professional fees and lender costs
Your attorney's fee, the commissioned surveyor, and a valuation report (the NHT requires one no more than a year old). Mortgage lenders add their own processing and legal fees; ask for the schedule in writing.
The deposit and the agreement
JIS reports the deposit is usually 10 percent and that an agreement for sale costs around J$100,000 as an industry standard. The NHT requires a signed sale agreement of at least 90 days and a deposit of at least 5 percent of the unit cost.
Cost
Deposit usually 10 percent

Questions people ask

What is the transfer tax rate?

Two percent of market value. Tax Administration Jamaica's notice dated 3 April 2019 reduced it from 5 percent to 2 percent for documents dated 1 April 2019 or later. Some TAJ pages still display the older 4 or 5 percent figures; they predate the change.

Who pays what?

TAJ states transfer tax is borne by the vendor. JIS, quoting the NLA, reports that stamp duty of J$5,000 and the 0.5 percent registration fee are shared between vendor and purchaser. Each side pays its own attorney. The purchaser usually pays for the valuation and survey.

Is there a first-time buyer exemption?

We could not find one on any TAJ, Ministry of Finance or JIS page on the review date, so we do not list one. The NHT offers lower interest rates and a Home Grant for lower-income contributors, which is a different kind of help.

Are inherited properties taxed?

TAJ's 2019 notice raised the transfer tax threshold for estates from J$100,000 to J$10,000,000, and TAJ's stamp duty and transfer tax page lists the principal place of residence among the exemptions. The same page, quoting paragraph 17(3) of the First Schedule to the Transfer Tax Act, says 6 percent a year is paid on tax outstanding after twelve months from the date of death.