§ 9602 - Tax on transfer of title to property
§ 9602. Tax on transfer of title to property
A tax is hereby imposed upon the transfer by deed of title to property located in this state. The amount of the tax equals one and one-quarter percent of the value of the property transferred, or $1.00, whichever is greater, except as follows:
(1) with respect to the transfer of property to be used for the principal residence of the transferee: the tax shall be imposed at the rate of five-tenths of one percent of the first $100,000.00 in value of the property transferred and at the rate of one and one-quarter percent of the value of the property transferred in excess of $100,000.00; except that no tax shall be imposed on the first $110,000.00 in value of the property transferred if the purchaser obtains a purchase money mortgage funded in part with a homeland grant through the Vermont housing and conservation trust fund or which the Vermont housing and finance agency or U.S. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has committed to make or purchase and tax at the rate of one and one-quarter percent shall be imposed on the value of that property in excess of $110,000.00.
(2) with respect to the transfer of property which is enrolled at the time of the transfer in a program under chapter 124 of this title, or is otherwise a working farm at the time of the transfer if not so enrolled, the tax shall be imposed in the amount of five-tenths of one percent on the entire value of the property transferred; provided, however that no part of the property is converted to a use which would subject it to the land use change tax or an obligation to repay property tax benefits under chapter 124 of this title for a period of three years following the date of the transfer, or if it is a working farm which is not enrolled under chapter 124, that the property is not taken out of agricultural production for a period of six years following the date of the transfer. For the purposes of this subdivision, a working farm shall mean a parcel of land actively used by a farmer, as that term is defined under subdivision 3752(7) of this title. If the conditions of this subdivision are breached by the buyer, the buyer shall be obligated to pay the full transfer tax in the amount of one and one-quarter percent and this obligation shall run with the land.
(3) with respect to the transfer to a housing cooperative organized under chapter 7 of Title 11 and whose sole purpose is to provide principal residences for all of its members or shareholders, or to an affordable housing cooperative under chapter 14 of Title 11, of property to be used as the principal residence of a member or shareholder, the tax shall be imposed in the amount of five-tenths of one percent of the first $100,000.00 in value of the residence transferred and at the rate of one and one-quarter percent of the value of the residence transferred in excess of $100,000.00; provided that the homesite leased by the cooperative is used exclusively as the principal residence of a member or shareholder. If the transferee ceases to be an eligible cooperative at any time during the six years following the date of transfer, the transferee shall then become obligated to pay any reduction in property transfer tax provided under this subdivision, and the obligation to pay the additional tax shall also run with the land. (Added 1967, No. 146, § 1; amended by 1969, No. 144, § 6; 1987, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1993, No. 49, § 16,; 1997, No. 50, §§ 6, 43; 1999, No. 62, § 272; 2005, No. 75, § 5; 2007, No. 176 (Adj. Sess.), § 14.)