When you buy shares in a housing company and become the owner of a flat, apartment or terraced house, you must pay transfer tax and file the return to report it.
If you are a first-time homebuyer, see this guidance
If you are a buyer of “new construction”, see this guidance
Amount of transfer tax to be paid on a housing-company apartment
Transfer tax is 1,5% of the price (including any other consideration that had been agreed) and the unpaid part of any housing-company loan.
The “debt-free price” (velaton hinta; bostadens skuldfria pris) contains both the price of the flat itself and the part representing the housing-company loan, if any. In other words, transfer tax is collected on the debt-free amount. It is not important whether you pay up the specific part of the housing-company loan when you sign the contract or whether you pay it in small instalments every month.
You can use the transfer tax calculator to get help with your calculations.
Example: Sarah buys a flat for €60,000 (this is the price advertised as “myyntihinta”). There is a loan balance of €20,000 allocated by the housing company to Sarah’s shares. This means that Sarah’s “debt-free price” equals €80,000. The €80,000 is the base for transfer tax. The tax is 1,5% × €80,000 = €1,200. It makes no difference whether Sarah pays off her part of the company loan when buying the flat, or gradually as part of the monthly charge.
Frequently asked questions