Choose buyer or seller, type the sale price, and the sheet does the government math. Then fill in the quote lines from your own paperwork. Nothing on it is a fee we made up: a line you leave empty stays at zero, and the rates it uses are printed with their sources underneath.
Decision tool 1
What will your Georgia closing cost?
Georgia sets three charges by law on a home sale: the transfer tax on the deed, the intangible recording tax on a new mortgage, and the clerk’s recording fee. This sheet computes them from the statute rates below. Every other line is a number you copy from your own Loan Estimate or written quotes.
The rates this estimator uses, with their sources
- Georgia real estate transfer tax. Georgia's real estate transfer tax is $1.00 for the first $1,000 of value and 10 cents for each additional $100 or fraction of $100, on deeds transferring realty sold for more than $100. O.C.G.A. 48-6-1 (2025 Georgia Code), via Justia
- Georgia intangible recording tax. Georgia's intangible recording tax on a security deed is $1.50 for each $500 or fraction of $500 of the loan's face amount. Georgia Department of Revenue, Intangible Recording Tax page
- Clerk’s recording fee. Georgia law sets the clerk's fee for filing each instrument pertaining to real estate, including each deed and assignment of a security deed, at $25.00. O.C.G.A. 15-6-77, via FindLaw Codes (marked 'Current as of March 28, 2024')
The three lines the estimator works out for you
Transfer tax on the deed
Georgia's real estate transfer tax is $1.00 for the first $1,000 of value and 10 cents for each additional $100 or fraction of $100, on deeds transferring realty sold for more than $100. (O.C.G.A. 48-6-1 (2025 Georgia Code), via Justia, checked 2026-10-19)
The sheet rounds the way the statute does: any part of $100 above the first $1,000 counts as a full $100. For the reasoning and worked examples, see the transfer tax calculator.
Intangible recording tax on a new loan
The intangible tax rate and cap
- Georgia's intangible recording tax on a security deed is $1.50 for each $500 or fraction of $500 of the loan's face amount. Georgia Department of Revenue, Intangible Recording Tax page, checked 2026-10-19
- The maximum intangible recording tax on any single note is $25,000. Georgia Department of Revenue, Intangible Recording Tax page, checked 2026-10-19
Type your loan amount from the Loan Estimate. Leave it empty for a cash purchase and this line stays at zero. The sheet treats the loan as a long-term note; Georgia treats short-term notes differently, so ask your lender if your loan is unusual. More on the intangible tax calculator page.
The clerk’s recording fee
Georgia law sets the clerk's fee for filing each instrument pertaining to real estate, including each deed and assignment of a security deed, at $25.00. (O.C.G.A. 15-6-77, via FindLaw Codes (marked 'Current as of March 28, 2024'), checked 2026-10-19)
The filing fee is set by state law (currently $25 per instrument). The “Documents to record” box starts at two, usually the deed plus the security deed when there is a loan, but your closing attorney can tell you the real count for your file. Read this line as the state filing fee for the documents you entered, not as a full recording bill.
Why these lines say “contract decides”
The Department of Revenue says the seller is liable for the transfer tax, though the parties frequently agree in the sales contract that the buyer will pay it. (Georgia Department of Revenue, Real Estate Transfer Tax page, checked 2026-10-19)
The law says who a tax is imposed on. Your purchase contract says who pays it at the table. The estimator shows the government lines on both the buyer and seller sheets for that reason; move them in your head to whichever side your contract puts them.
Where to find each number you type in
Every quote line has a home on a document you already have, or can ask for in writing.
| Line on the estimator | Where the number comes from | Sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Closing attorney / settlement fee | The closing attorney’s written, itemized quote | Buyer and seller |
| Title search and exam | The same written quote | Buyer |
| Owner’s title insurance | A title quote; this policy is optional | Buyer |
| Lender’s title insurance | Your Loan Estimate, section B or C | Buyer |
| Lender charges | Your Loan Estimate, section A | Buyer |
| Prepaids and escrow deposit | Your Loan Estimate, sections F and G | Buyer |
| Brokerage commission | Your listing agreement | Seller |
| Deed preparation and payoff handling | The closing attorney’s quote to the seller | Seller |
| Anything else on your quotes | Survey, HOA letter, courier and similar lines | Buyer and seller |
When the lender has to give you each form
- The lender must provide a Loan Estimate within three business days of receiving your mortgage application. CFPB, Ask CFPB: What is a Loan Estimate? (page last modified Aug. 14, 2024), checked 2026-10-19
- Your lender must give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before you close on the mortgage loan. CFPB, Ask CFPB: What is a Closing Disclosure? (page last modified Sept. 6, 2024), checked 2026-10-19
Start with the Loan Estimate, which your lender has to send within three business days of your application. When the Closing Disclosure arrives at least three business days before closing, run the sheet again with its figures and look for any line that moved.
Two title policies, two different jobs
Title insurance
- Most lenders require a lender's title policy, while an owner's policy is something the buyer may choose to buy. CFPB, Ask CFPB: What is owner's title insurance? (page last modified Aug. 5, 2024), checked 2026-10-19
- Lender's title insurance protects only the lender and does not protect the buyer's equity. CFPB, Ask CFPB: What is lender's title insurance? (page last modified Sept. 13, 2024), checked 2026-10-19
That is why the estimator has two title lines. The lender’s policy protects the loan. The owner’s policy is the one that protects you, and whether to buy it is your choice. Who pays for each is set by your contract and your lender, not by a rule of thumb.
What the total is, and what it is not
The total is a planning number. It is not a quote, and it leaves out anything you did not type in. Two common gaps:
- Prorated property taxes. Your closing attorney works these out from the current tax bill and the closing date, and they show on the Closing Disclosure. See Lumpkin County recording and property taxes.
- Withholding for an out-of-state seller. If you are selling and do not live in Georgia, read nonresident seller withholding before you rely on a net figure.
Federal Closing Disclosure rules include lines for prorated city and county taxes between buyer and seller at closing. (CFPB eRegulations, 12 CFR 1026.38 (Regulation Z, Closing Disclosure content) and official interpretations, checked 2026-10-19)
For the full walk-through of each side, read closing costs for buyers and closing costs for sellers. For the quote lines the attorney’s office charges, see closing attorney fees explained.
Questions buyers ask
How does the estimator figure the Georgia transfer tax?
It uses the rate the Department of Revenue publishes: $1 for the first $1,000 of the sale price or part of $1,000, and 10 cents for each additional $100 or part of $100. Any part of $100 counts as a full $100.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue, Real Estate Transfer Tax page
Does the estimator work for a cash purchase?
Yes. Leave the mortgage amount empty. Georgia's intangible recording tax is charged on a loan's face amount, at $1.50 for each $500 or part of $500, so with no loan that line stays at zero.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue, Intangible Recording Tax page
Is the recording fee on the estimator my whole recording cost?
No. It multiplies the clerk's filing fee set by state law (currently $25 per instrument) by the number of documents you enter. Your closing attorney can tell you how many documents your closing will record and what else the office charges.
Source: O.C.G.A. 15-6-77, via FindLaw Codes (marked 'Current as of March 28, 2024')
Why does the estimator ask for my Loan Estimate?
Because the lender's charges come from your lender, not from a rate in the law. Your lender must give you a Loan Estimate within three business days of receiving your application, and the estimator's lender lines copy from it.
Source: CFPB, Ask CFPB: What is a Loan Estimate? (page last modified Aug. 14, 2024)
Before you rely on this
This page is education, not legal advice. Dahlonega Closing Guide is published by Gold Peach Realty, a real estate brokerage, not a law firm. For advice about your own contract, title or taxes, ask a Georgia attorney or a tax professional.
Education, not legal advice. Statutes, fees and forms change; every rule on this page links to the law or office that sets it. Your closing attorney and your contract decide what applies to your closing.
