- Government Transfer Tax and Registration Fees.
- Real Estate Transfer Tax. – The government collects a property transfer tax (Impuesto de Traspaso ) which is equal to 1.5% of the registered value of the property.
- Documentary Stamps – The government also requires that documentary stamps be attached to the deed. These stamps include the following: Municipal Stamp: (Timbre Municipal) ;Legal Bar Association Stamp (Timbre del Colegio de Abogados); Agricultural Stamp (Timbre Agrario); National Archives Stamp (Timbre del Archivo Nacional); Fiscal Stamp:(Especie Fiscal). The Public Registry also imposes its own tax of .05% on documents presented for recordation to the Public Registry. (Derechos de Registro)
- Notary Fees– The Notary that drafted the contract for sale, carries out the real estate closing and records the property title transfer is entitled by law to a fee which is based upon a percentage of the value of the transaction. The original law established a fee which was equal to 1.5% of the first one million colones of the actual sales price and 1.25% on the balance. This has since been modified to the following:
- Up to 10 million Colones 2% of the value of the transaction
- On the Excess of 10 million Colones to 15 million Colones 1.5%
- On the Excess of 15 million Colones to 30 million Colones 1.25%
- On the Excess of 30 million Colones 1%
- Mortgage costs. It is customary that any fees involved in the drafting of a mortgage including stamps and attorney’s fees, will be solely incurred by the buyer.