May 2, 2026 · by BalayHub Admin · 6 min read

Property Taxes in the Philippines 2026: CGT, DST, RPT Rates

Property taxes in the Philippines: 6% capital gains, 1.5% DST, 0.5% to 0.75% transfer tax, 1% to 2% RPT plus SEF, who pays each and the bill on a ₱5M sale.

Property Taxes in the Philippines 2026: CGT, DST, RPT Rates

Property taxes in the Philippines come down to five charges: a 6% capital gains tax paid by the seller, a 1.5% documentary stamp tax and a 0.5% to 0.75% local transfer tax usually paid by the buyer, registration fees at the Registry of Deeds, and a yearly real property tax of 1% to 2% of assessed value plus 1% for the Special Education Fund. Each one is computed on a different value, and that is where buyers and sellers get caught: the tax on a sale follows the government's valuation when it is higher than the price, and the yearly tax follows a much smaller figure set by the local assessor. This guide sets out every charge, who customarily pays it, which value it uses, and what it adds up to on a ₱5,000,000 (about $79,700 / €71,200) home.

The yearly tax: real property tax, or amilyar

Real property tax is the annual tax on owning land, a house or a condominium unit, collected by the city or municipality. The basic rate is capped at 1% in provinces and 2% in cities and the municipalities of Metro Manila, and almost everywhere a further 1% for the Special Education Fund is added, so an owner in a city pays about 3% a year.

The base is the assessed value, not the market price. The local assessor keeps a schedule of market values and applies an assessment level to it, commonly about 20% for residential property, so a home carried at ₱3,000,000 (about $47,800 / €42,700) on the tax declaration has an assessed value of ₱600,000 (about $9,560 / €8,540) and a yearly bill of about ₱18,000 (about $287 / €256) in a city. Our amilyar guide works through the computation and the table of typical bills.

The tax accrues on January 1 and can be paid in full or in four quarterly installments. The law lets a city grant a discount of up to 20% for paying the whole year in advance and up to 10% for prompt payment of each installment, and charges interest of 2% a month on late payments for up to 36 months. A growing number of cities take the payment online, which our guide on how to pay amilyar online covers city by city.

The tax on selling: capital gains tax

When an individual sells property held as a personal asset, the sale carries a final capital gains tax of 6%. Despite the name it is not a tax on profit: it is charged on the gross selling price or the fair market value, whichever is higher, and the fair market value is itself the higher of the BIR zonal value and the assessor's market value. What the seller originally paid is never deducted, so a sale at a loss is taxed like any other.

The seller files BIR Form 1706 and pays within 30 days of the sale, and the BIR releases the certificate the Registry of Deeds needs only after both the capital gains tax and the documentary stamp tax are paid. A seller who uses the full proceeds to buy or build a new principal residence within 18 months can claim an exemption, with the 6% held in escrow meanwhile. The rules, the deadline and the exemption are in our guide to capital gains tax on a property sale, and the three valuations that set the base are explained in our comparison of zonal value, market value and assessed value.

Developers and others in the business of selling property do not pay capital gains tax on their sales; those are ordinary assets, taxed as income, and on sales above the legal threshold the price carries 12% VAT. That is one reason a pre-selling price sheet and a resale deed are not computed the same way.

The taxes on transferring: documentary stamp and transfer tax

Documentary stamp tax is 1.5% of the same base as the capital gains tax, the higher of the price and the fair market value, and by custom the buyer pays it to the BIR when the transfer documents are filed. The local transfer tax goes to the city or province where the property lies, at 0.5% to 0.75% of the same kind of base depending on the local ordinance, and is paid to the treasurer before the title can be registered.

Then come the Registry of Deeds fees for registering the deed and issuing the new title, which follow a sliding scale that comes to a fraction of a percent of the value, plus small annotation and certification charges. The notarial fee for the deed of absolute sale is set by agreement with the notary and is often quoted near 1% of the price, and it is negotiable. The order in which these are paid, and the certificate from the BIR that ties them together, are in our guide on how to transfer a land title.

What it adds up to on a ₱5,000,000 sale

Take a resale between two individuals at ₱5,000,000 (about $79,700 / €71,200), with the official values below the price so that the price is the base.

The seller pays capital gains tax of ₱300,000 (about $4,780 / €4,270). The buyer pays documentary stamp tax of ₱75,000 (about $1,190 / €1,070), transfer tax of ₱25,000 to ₱37,500 (about $398 to $597 / €356 to €534), registration fees of roughly a quarter to half a percent, ₱12,500 to ₱25,000 (about $199 to $398 / €178 to €356) on a sale of this size, and a notarial fee that at 1% would be ₱50,000 (about $797 / €712), often less once negotiated. The buyer's side therefore comes to roughly ₱140,000 to ₱190,000 (about $2,230 to $3,030 / €1,990 to €2,710), about 3% to 4% of the price, before any broker's commission, which the seller customarily carries on top of the 6%.

Who pays what is custom, not law. Sellers sometimes quote a price "net of taxes" that moves the 6% to the buyer, and buyers sometimes negotiate the transfer tax onto the seller, so the split belongs in the contract. Our guide to closing costs sets out the customary split line by line, and the seller's full bill, commission included, is in our guide to selling property in the Philippines.

Three checks before you agree on a price

Check the zonal value and the assessor's market value before signing, because if either is above the price, the taxes on the sale follow it, not the deed. Check that the tax declaration is in the seller's name and that the real property tax is paid up, since arrears follow the property; our guide to tax declaration vs land title explains what that document proves. And do not understate the price in the deed to save tax: the BIR taxes the higher official value anyway, and the understated deed weakens the buyer in any later dispute or resale.

For a sense of where a fair price sits before the tax arithmetic starts, our property valuation tool gives a range from current listings.

This article is general information, not tax advice. Rates and the customary split described here are those in force as we read them in October 2026; confirm your case with the BIR district office, the local treasurer and a tax professional before you sign.

Last updated 14 October 2026.

Dollar and euro figures are approximate conversions at ₱62.8 per US dollar and ₱70.2 per euro (ECB reference rates, 2026-10-13).

Frequently asked questions

What taxes and fees do I pay when buying property in the Philippines?

By custom the buyer pays the documentary stamp tax of 1.5%, the local transfer tax of 0.5% to 0.75%, the Registry of Deeds registration fees and usually the notarial fee, all computed on the higher of the price and the official fair market value. On a ₱5,000,000 (about $79,700 / €71,200) resale that comes to roughly ₱140,000 to ₱190,000 (about $2,230 to $3,030 / €1,990 to €2,710), about 3% to 4% of the price. The seller customarily pays the 6% capital gains tax and the broker's commission.

How much is the annual real property tax in the Philippines?

The basic rate is capped at 1% of assessed value in provinces and 2% in cities and Metro Manila municipalities, plus 1% for the Special Education Fund, so a city owner pays about 3% a year. The assessed value is a fraction of the market value set by the local assessor, commonly about 20% for residential property, so a home carried at ₱3,000,000 (about $47,800 / €42,700) has an assessed value of ₱600,000 (about $9,560 / €8,540) and a yearly bill of about ₱18,000 (about $287 / €256) in a city.

Is Philippine capital gains tax based on my actual profit?

No. Despite the name, the 6% capital gains tax on the sale of real property held as a capital asset is charged on the gross selling price or the fair market value, whichever is higher, and the fair market value is the higher of the BIR zonal value and the assessor's market value. The original purchase price is never deducted, so a property sold at a loss carries the same 6% as one sold at a gain.

What happens if I pay real property tax early or late?

Real property tax accrues on January 1 and can be paid in full or in four quarterly installments. The law lets a city grant a discount of up to 20% for paying the whole year in advance, and up to 10% for prompt payment of each installment. Late payments carry interest of 2% a month on the unpaid amount for up to 36 months, and a property with years of unpaid tax can be sold at public auction by the local treasurer.

Who pays the taxes on a property sale, the buyer or the seller?

The split is custom, not law, so the contract decides. The usual arrangement is that the seller pays the 6% capital gains tax and the broker's commission, while the buyer pays the documentary stamp tax, the transfer tax, the registration fees and the notarial fee. Sellers sometimes quote a price net of taxes that moves the 6% to the buyer, so ask which arrangement a quoted price assumes before you agree on it.

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