Massachusetts Mansion Tax: What Boston and Brookline Sellers Should Know

Will You Have to Pay a Mansion Tax When You Sell Your Home in Massachusetts?

Not yet. No Massachusetts mansion tax or transfer fee is law today. But Boston and Brookline have both asked the state legislature for permission to charge sellers a new fee — up to 2% — on high-value home sales, and lawmakers are expected to take the proposal up again this session. If you're selling above $1 million in Brookline or above $2 million in Boston, here's exactly what's on the table and how to think about your timeline.

By Tyler Smith | Beacon & Bond Group | August 2, 2026

Boston and Brookline have both filed formal requests with the Massachusetts legislature to start charging sellers a new fee on high-value home sales. Neither request has become law. But if you're planning to sell a home above $1 million in Brookline, or above $2 million in Boston, this is worth understanding now — not after you've already signed a listing agreement.

I get asked about this constantly by sellers who've seen a headline about a "mansion tax" and aren't sure whether it already applies to them. It doesn't, yet. Here's exactly where things stand.

What's Actually Being Proposed

Massachusetts doesn't have a statewide mansion tax. What exists right now is a patchwork of local home rule petitions — formal requests individual cities and towns send to the state legislature, asking for permission to enact their own transfer fee on real estate sales. A town can't just vote one into existence on its own. It needs the legislature to approve the petition and the governor to sign it before a single dollar changes hands.

Nineteen Massachusetts communities have filed one of these petitions so far, including two of the six towns I work in every day:

• Boston's petition, signed by Mayor Michelle Wu, asks for a 2% fee on the portion of a sale price above $2 million. The seller would pay it. Revenue would go toward affordable housing programs and property tax relief for qualifying senior homeowners.
• Brookline's petition, approved at Town Meeting, asks for a fee between 0.5% and 2% on the portion of a sale above $1 million — also seller-paid.

Other communities pursuing the same kind of petition include Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Concord, and several Cape Cod towns, where a similar fee has been proposed on sales above $2 million. There's also a broader, statewide version of this idea — championed by Governor Healey — that would let any Massachusetts municipality opt into a 0.5%–2% fee on the portion of a sale above $1 million or the county's median home price, whichever is higher. That statewide local-option bill hasn't passed either.

How This Would Stack on Top of What You Already Pay

Every Massachusetts seller already pays a transfer tax at closing — the deed excise tax, which runs $4.56 per $1,000 of your sale price (about 0.46%) and is one of the line items I walk every client through before we list. I cover the full breakdown, along with commissions, attorney fees, and prorations, in How Much Will You Net Selling Your Home in Boston.

The proposed mansion tax wouldn't replace that tax. It would stack on top of it, and only on the portion of your sale price above your town's threshold. A few worked examples:

• A $1.5 million Brookline sale: The existing deed excise tax runs about $6,840. A 1% mansion tax on the $500,000 above the $1 million threshold would add another $5,000 — nearly doubling your transfer costs.
• A $2.5 million Brookline sale: Deed excise tax runs about $11,400. A 1% mansion tax on the $1.5 million above threshold would add roughly $15,000.
• A $3 million Boston sale: Deed excise tax runs about $13,680. A 2% mansion tax on the $1 million above Boston's $2 million threshold would add $20,000.

None of these numbers are owed today. But they're the kind of math worth having in front of you before you set a listing price or negotiate a closing timeline — which is exactly why real estate industry groups like the Greater Boston Real Estate Board have pushed back hard against the proposal, arguing it would put additional pressure on a luxury segment that's already softer than the rest of the market. Back Bay and Beacon Hill listings above $2 million are already sitting longer and seeing more price cuts than the broader Boston market — a new seller-side fee on top of that isn't a small consideration.

Where This Stands in the Legislature — and Whether You Should Rush to Sell

This isn't a new idea. Versions of it have circulated since at least 2024, when the state Senate stripped a transfer fee provision out of that year's housing bond bill. It's been reintroduced since and currently sits in the legislature's Joint Committee on Revenue. Supporters — including Senate leadership, who've signaled more openness to a bold housing push this session — are expected to make another attempt before this legislative session ends. It has not passed in two prior attempts.

I want to be straightforward with you: if you're weighing whether to list now specifically to get ahead of a fee that might not exist for years, or might never pass at all, that's not a good enough reason on its own to rush a sale. Pricing, timing, and market conditions in your specific neighborhood matter far more to your net proceeds than a proposal still sitting in committee.

It is a good reason to have someone tracking this for you so you're not caught off guard if it does move. I keep an eye on this for my Boston and Brookline sellers and will flag it the moment there's real legislative movement — not just another round of headlines.

What This Means Town by Town

If you're selling in Boston or Brookline above the relevant threshold, this is worth a conversation before you finalize your listing strategy — not because you need to panic, but because you deserve an accurate number instead of a headline.

If you're selling in Newton, Needham, Dedham, or Milton, none of these four towns have filed a transfer fee home rule petition as of this writing. Even if a broader statewide local-option bill eventually passes, individual towns would still have to opt in on their own — and none of my other four markets have signaled they're pursuing it. For now, your closing costs still come down to the deed excise tax, your agent's commission, and the same numbers I break down in Property Taxes in Greater Boston and Capital Gains Tax When Selling Your Massachusetts Home.

That could change. I'll update this the moment it does.

No Massachusetts mansion tax exists today. Boston and Brookline have asked for permission to create one, capped at 2% and paid by the seller, but it needs state approval it hasn't received in two prior attempts. If you're selling above $1–2 million in either town, this is worth a conversation before you set your timeline. If you're in Newton, Needham, Dedham, or Milton, this doesn't touch you right now — but it's still worth knowing what's on the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Massachusetts mansion tax law right now?

No. As of this writing, no Massachusetts mansion tax or local transfer fee has passed the state legislature. Boston and Brookline have filed home rule petitions asking for permission to enact one, but both still need legislative approval and the governor's signature before either town could actually collect the fee.

How much would the proposed transfer fee cost me?

Boston's proposal is a 2% fee on the portion of your sale price above $2 million. Brookline's proposal is 0.5%–2% on the portion above $1 million. Both would be paid by the seller and would apply on top of the existing MA deed excise tax of $4.56 per $1,000 of sale price.

Does this affect sellers in Newton, Needham, Dedham, or Milton?

Not currently. None of these four towns have filed a transfer fee home rule petition. Even if a broader statewide version eventually passes, each town would still need to opt in separately.

Should I sell my home now to avoid a future mansion tax?

Not on its own. This proposal has failed to pass twice already and remains in committee with no guaranteed timeline. Pricing strategy, home condition, and current market conditions should drive your timing far more than a fee that may never take effect.

Is this the same as the Massachusetts deed excise tax I already have to pay?

No. The deed excise tax is an existing, already-in-effect statewide transfer tax of $4.56 per $1,000 of sale price that every Massachusetts seller pays at closing. The proposed mansion tax would be a separate, additional local fee stacked on top of it, and would only apply to sales above each town's specific price threshold.

If you're thinking through what this could mean for your own sale — in Boston, Brookline, or anywhere else across Greater Boston — I'm happy to walk through the numbers with you. Reach out anytime, and I'll keep tracking this so you don't have to.

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About Tyler Smith | Beacon & Bond Group
Tyler Smith is the founder of Beacon & Bond Group and a licensed REALTOR® with Real Broker MA, LLC, specializing in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Needham, Dedham, and Milton. Since 2020, he has represented more than 90 clients across $85 million in transactions — with hands-on experience as both a listing agent and a real estate investor. Connect with Tyler at tyler@beaconandbondgroup.com.