Connecticut General Statutes 12-494 – Imposition of tax on conveyances of real property for consideration. One part payable to state and the other to municipality in which paid
(a) There is imposed a tax on each deed, instrument or writing, whereby any lands, tenements or other realty is granted, assigned, transferred or otherwise conveyed to, or vested in, the purchaser, or any other person by such purchaser’s direction, when the consideration for the interest or property conveyed equals or exceeds two thousand dollars:
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 12-494
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- farm: includes farm buildings, and accessory buildings thereto, nurseries, orchards, ranges, greenhouses, hoophouses and other temporary structures or other structures used primarily for the raising and, as an incident to ordinary farming operations, the sale of agricultural or horticultural commodities. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- person: means any individual, partnership, company, limited liability company, public or private corporation, society, association, trustee, executor, administrator or other fiduciary or custodian. See Connecticut General Statutes 12-1
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, at the rate of three-quarters of one per cent of the consideration for the interest in real property conveyed by such deed, instrument or writing, the revenue from which shall be remitted by the town clerk of the municipality in which such tax is paid, not later than ten days following receipt thereof, to the Commissioner of Revenue Services for deposit to the credit of the state General Fund; and
(2) At the rate of one-fourth of one per cent of the consideration for the interest in real property conveyed by such deed, instrument or writing, provided the amount imposed under this subdivision shall become part of the general revenue of the municipality in accordance with section 12-499.
(b) The rate of tax imposed under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section shall, in lieu of the rate under said subdivision (1), be imposed on certain conveyances as follows:
(1) In the case of any conveyance of real property which at the time of such conveyance is used for any purpose other than residential use, except unimproved land, the tax under said subdivision (1) shall be imposed at the rate of one and one-quarter per cent of the consideration for the interest in real property conveyed;
(2) In the case of any conveyance in which the real property conveyed is a residential estate, including a primary dwelling and any auxiliary housing or structures, regardless of the number of deeds, instruments or writings used to convey such residential real estate, for which the consideration or aggregate consideration, as the case may be, in such conveyance is eight hundred thousand dollars or more, the tax under said subdivision (1) shall be imposed:
(A) At the rate of three-quarters of one per cent on that portion of such consideration up to and including the amount of eight hundred thousand dollars;
(B) Prior to July 1, 2020, at the rate of one and one-quarter per cent on that portion of such consideration in excess of eight hundred thousand dollars; and
(C) On and after July 1, 2020, (i) at the rate of one and one-quarter per cent on that portion of such consideration in excess of eight hundred thousand dollars up to and including the amount of two million five hundred thousand dollars, and (ii) at the rate of two and one-quarter per cent on that portion of such consideration in excess of two million five hundred thousand dollars; and
(3) In the case of any conveyance in which real property on which mortgage payments have been delinquent for not less than six months is conveyed to a financial institution or its subsidiary that holds such a delinquent mortgage on such property, the tax under said subdivision (1) shall be imposed at the rate of three-quarters of one per cent of the consideration for the interest in real property conveyed. For the purposes of subdivision (1) of this subsection, “unimproved land” includes land designated as farm, forest or open space land.
(c) In addition to the tax imposed under subsection (a) of this section, any targeted investment community, as defined in section 32-222, or any municipality in which properties designated as manufacturing plants under section 32-75c are located, may, on or after March 15, 2003, impose an additional tax on each deed, instrument or writing, whereby any lands, tenements or other realty is granted, assigned, transferred or otherwise conveyed to, or vested in, the purchaser, or any other person by such purchaser’s direction, when the consideration for the interest or property conveyed equals or exceeds two thousand dollars, which additional tax shall be at a rate of up to one-fourth of one per cent of the consideration for the interest in real property conveyed by such deed, instrument or writing. The revenue from such additional tax shall become part of the general revenue of the municipality in accordance with section 12-499.
(d) On and after July 1, 2025, the Comptroller shall transfer from the General Fund to the Housing Trust Fund established under section 8-336o, any revenue received by the state each fiscal year in excess of three hundred million dollars from the tax imposed under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) and subsections (b) and (c) of this section. On and after July 1, 2026, the threshold amount in this subsection shall be adjusted annually by the percentage increase in inflation. As used in this subdivision, “increase in inflation” means the increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers during the preceding calendar year, calculated on a December over December basis, using data reported by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.