Transfer Cost Calculator South Africa: Transfer Duty and Attorney Fees
Estimate the total cost of transferring a property into your name, including SARS transfer duty, conveyancing attorney fees, Deeds Office fees, and bond registration costs if you are financing your purchase.
Calculate My Transfer Costs ↓Transfer Cost Calculator
Enter your purchase price below, then press Calculate.
Your Total Estimated Transfer Costs
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Based on your purchase price and bond details
Cost breakdown
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This estimate shows the total cost of transferring your property, including transfer duty, attorney fees and Deeds Office fees.
Property transfer costs in South Africa are made up of three main parts, transfer duty paid to SARS, the conveyancing attorney’s fee for handling the transfer, and Deeds Office registration fees. If you are financing your purchase with a bond, a separate bond registration attorney fee and Deeds Office fee apply on top of these. Use the calculator above for your own figures and a full cost breakdown.
How to Use the Transfer Cost Calculator
Three quick steps to estimate your total transfer costs.
- 1 Enter the purchase price. Use the agreed purchase price or the property’s market value.
- 2 Tell us if you are financing with a bond. If so, enter your bond amount to include bond registration costs.
- 3 Press Calculate. Your transfer duty, attorney fees, Deeds Office fees and total cost appear instantly. Use “Copy Result” to save it.
The Transfer Cost Calculation Formula
Your total transfer cost combines a government tax and two separate sets of professional fees.
Conveyancing Attorney Fee = Calculated on the purchase price using the LSSA guideline, plus 15% VAT
Deeds Office Fee (Transfer) = Statutory registration fee based on the purchase price, plus a lodgement fee
Bond Registration Attorney Fee = Calculated on the bond amount using the LSSA guideline, plus 15% VAT, only if financed
Deeds Office Fee (Bond) = Statutory registration fee based on the bond amount, plus a lodgement fee, only if financed
Total Transfer Costs = Transfer Duty + Attorney Fees + Deeds Office Fees
Transfer duty is calculated using the current SARS bands. Attorney fees are estimated using the LSSA Conveyancing Fee Guideline. Deeds Office fees are estimated using the gazetted Deeds Office fee schedule. Individual conveyancers may charge above or below the guideline figure.
Worked Examples
Real calculations using the transfer cost formula, so you can see exactly how the numbers work.
Example 1: R2,000,000 purchase price, cash purchase, no bond
| Transfer duty: R33,786.00 | Attorney fee (incl VAT): R42,406.25 |
| Deeds Office fee: R1,790.00 | Total transfer costs: R77,982.25 |
Example 2: R1,500,000 purchase price, R1,350,000 bond
| Transfer duty: R8,700.00 | Transfer attorney fee (incl VAT): R36,311.25 |
| Bond attorney fee (incl VAT): R34,482.75 | Deeds Office fees (transfer and bond): R2,464.17 |
| Total transfer costs: R81,958.17 | |
Example 3: R3,500,000 purchase price, R2,800,000 bond
| Transfer duty: R162,356.00 | Transfer attorney fee (incl VAT): R60,691.25 |
| Bond attorney fee (incl VAT): R52,158.25 | Deeds Office fees (transfer and bond): R4,609.98 |
| Total transfer costs: R279,815.48 | |
Property Transfer Costs in South Africa: The Complete Guide
Buying a property in South Africa involves more than the purchase price. Before the property can be legally registered in your name, you need to budget for transfer duty, conveyancing attorney fees and Deeds Office costs, plus a separate set of fees if you are financing the purchase with a bond.
Transfer duty
Transfer duty is a tax paid to SARS by the buyer whenever property changes hands, unless the transaction is subject to VAT instead, such as buying directly from a VAT registered developer. No transfer duty is payable on the first R1,210,000 of the purchase price, and duty is charged at progressively higher rates on the portion above that threshold, up to 13% on the portion above R13,310,000. Your conveyancing attorney pays this on your behalf as part of the transfer process.
Conveyancing attorney fees
Only a registered conveyancing attorney can legally transfer property in South Africa. Their fee, often called the transfer fee, is guided by the Law Society of South Africa’s recommended tariff, which scales with the purchase price. This fee covers the drafting, FICA compliance, SARS transfer duty declaration, Deeds Office lodgement and registration of the transfer. VAT is added to the professional fee at the standard rate.
Deeds Office fees
The Deeds Office charges a separate statutory registration fee to record the change of ownership, based on the value of the transaction, plus a small lodgement fee per document. These fees are set by government notice and are not negotiable, unlike the attorney’s professional fee.
Bond registration costs
If you are financing your purchase with a bond, your bank appoints a separate bond registration attorney to register the mortgage bond over the property. This attorney charges their own fee, calculated on the bond amount using the same LSSA style tariff, plus their own Deeds Office registration fee. This means a bonded transfer typically costs more in total than a cash purchase at the same purchase price.
Who pays what
- The buyer pays transfer duty, the transfer attorney’s fee, and Deeds Office fees for the transfer.
- The buyer also pays the bond registration attorney’s fee and Deeds Office fee if a bond is registered.
- The seller typically pays their own bond cancellation attorney fee if there is an existing bond on the property.
- Estate agent commission, where applicable, is paid by the seller directly to the agency.
Methodology
This calculator works out transfer duty using the current SARS sliding scale bands. It estimates the transfer attorney’s fee and, if applicable, the bond attorney’s fee using the LSSA Conveyancing Fee Guideline structure, with 15% VAT added. Deeds Office fees are estimated using the gazetted fee schedule based on transaction value, with a small lodgement fee added.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- Attorney fees are estimated against the LSSA guideline and are not a binding quote. Individual firms may charge above or below this figure.
- Deeds Office fees are estimated from the published fee schedule and rounded for simplicity.
- This calculator assumes the transaction is subject to transfer duty, not VAT, which applies to sales by VAT registered developers instead.
- This calculator does not include compliance certificates, rates clearance figures, estate agent commission, or bank initiation fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Transfer costs typically range from around 3% to 10% of the purchase price, depending on the price and whether you are financing with a bond. Use the calculator above for an estimate based on your own figures.
The buyer pays transfer duty, the transfer attorney’s fee and Deeds Office fees. The seller typically pays their own bond cancellation costs and estate agent commission.
No. If you buy directly from a VAT registered developer, the purchase price includes VAT instead of transfer duty, so no separate transfer duty is payable.
A bonded purchase requires a separate bond registration attorney and a separate Deeds Office fee to register the mortgage bond, on top of the standard transfer costs.
Yes. The LSSA tariff is a recommended guideline, not a binding statute, so attorney fees are negotiable. Ask for a written quote before instructing your conveyancer.