Iowa Seller Net Proceeds Calculator
What you actually net selling a house in Iowa. Transfer tax 0.16%, title/escrow closing, commission, payoff and the tax on the gain — one waterfall.
Selling the median $241,000 home in Iowa costs roughly $13,836 before your mortgage payoff on this page's defaults: $12,050 of agent commission at 5%, $386 of modeled state transfer tax at 0.16%, and about $1,400 of settlement/title fees (Iowa closings are typically handled by a title or escrow company). Tax on the gain, if any, comes out on top of that.
Estimate only — these are not official figures
Federal mechanics follow IRS primary sources read on 2026-08-25 (Topic no. 409 for the 0/15/20% long-term tiers and the 25% maximum on unrecaptured section 1250 gain; Topic no. 701 for the $250,000/$500,000 section 121 exclusion; the IRS net investment income tax page for the 3.8% add-on; 26 U.S.C. 121(d)(6) for recapture preceding exclusion). The federal rate and exclusion amount are user selections, never derived. Iowa's 0.16% transfer-tax rate and its closing-attorney flag are MODELED statewide values from this site's own state dataset — a base rate excluding county/city add-ons and exemptions, and a description of customary practice rather than a verified statutory mandate. Agent commission (5%), the settlement/title prefill and the half-year property-tax proration are editable modeled estimates.
Do not rely on these amounts for budgeting or payment. For exact amounts, check the the Iowa county recorder or department of revenue for the actual transfer-tax rate and exemptions, your closing agent or title company for the settlement statement, and IRS Publication 523 (or a tax professional) for the gain calculation and section 121 eligibility.
Enter Your Details
Adjust values to see instant results
Pre-filled: Iowa median home value (editable)
Pre-filled: Iowa modeled base rate (editable)
Additional Details
Pre-filled: Iowa title/escrow closing (editable)
Pre-filled: Half-year of Iowa's 1.33% effective rate (editable)
Additional Details
Pre-filled: Iowa rate (editable)
Net Proceeds After Tax
Estimated • Based on your inputs
Net at Closing (before tax on the gain)
$92,561.00
Detailed Breakdown
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results should not be considered financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for your specific situation.
How This Calculator Works
Calculation methodology and assumptions
This is a modeled estimate for Iowa, not a settlement statement. On this page's defaults it subtracts from the $241,000 sale price a $12,050 commission (5%), $386 of transfer tax at Iowa's modeled 0.16% statewide base rate (excluding county/city add-ons and exemptions; who pays is negotiable), $1,400 of settlement and title, and $1,603 of prorated property tax, leaving $225,561 realized and $92,561 at closing after the payoff. The tax layer removes depreciation recapture before the section 121 exclusion, applies your chosen federal rate to the rest and Iowa's 3.8% rate to the whole recognized gain. The federal rate and the exclusion are your selections, never derived. Confirm the transfer tax with the Iowa county recorder or department of revenue and your closing agent.
Key State Information
Iowa's modeled statewide transfer/deed-tax base rate is 0.16%, about $386 on the state's $241,000 median home value. Iowa closings are typically handled by a title or escrow company, and a closing attorney is not customary. Iowa's effective property-tax rate of 1.33% sets the closing proration, and the state's own capital-gains rate of 3.8% stacks on top of the federal tax on any gain you do not exclude.
Example Calculation
Selling Iowa's $241,000 median-value home with a $133,000 mortgage, on this page's defaults.
Selling costs come to $15,439, 6.4% of the price: $12,050 commission, $386 transfer tax, $1,400 settlement and title, $1,603 prorated property tax. That leaves $225,561 realized; the $133,000 payoff leaves $92,561 at closing.
Result: Net at closing: $92,561. As a rental with no exclusion, $9,694 of tax on the $51,561 gain leaves $82,868; as a main home with the $250,000 single exclusion, the tax is $0 and you keep $92,561.
What it costs to sell in Iowa
Iowa's modeled 0.16% statewide base rate is the 26th-highest of the 50 states in this dataset (Delaware is highest at 3%), and 15 states are modeled at 0%. Iowa closings are typically handled by a title or escrow company, and a closing attorney is not customary, so this page prefills $1,400 for settlement, title and recording. The table applies both to three sale prices around Iowa's $241,000 median home value.
| Sale price | Commission (5%) | Transfer tax (0.16%) | Settlement & title | Exit cost | Share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $180,000 | $9,000 | $288 | $1,400 | $10,688 | 5.9% |
| $241,000 | $12,050 | $386 | $1,400 | $13,836 | 5.7% |
| $360,000 | $18,000 | $576 | $1,400 | $19,976 | 5.5% |
0.16% is Iowa's modeled statewide base rate: county or city add-ons and exemptions are not included, and who pays it is negotiable. Exit cost excludes concessions, the property-tax proration, your payoff and any tax on the gain.
Tax on the gain when you sell in Iowa
On this page's defaults the $241,000 sale realizes $225,561 after selling costs, $51,561 above a $174,000 adjusted basis. Sold as a rental or second home, that gain is taxed at your federal rate (15% here) plus Iowa's 3.8%; sold as a main home that passes the ownership and use tests, the $250,000 single exclusion covers it.
| Line | Rental or second home | Main home, single filer |
|---|---|---|
| Realized gain | $51,561 | $51,561 |
| Excluded under section 121 | $0 | $51,561 |
| Federal tax at 15% | $7,734 | $0 |
| Iowa tax at 3.8% | $1,959 | $0 |
| Net proceeds after tax | $82,868 | $92,561 |
If the home was ever rented or used for a home office, the depreciation is recaptured at up to 25% before the exclusion applies, and the exclusion never shelters it. The national page walks through that order with a worked example.
Where the Iowa figures come from
| Input | Iowa | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $241,000 | Median home value (Zillow ZHVI, June 2026); replace it with your contract price |
| Transfer / deed tax | 0.16% | Modeled statewide base rate from this site's state dataset; editable |
| Settlement, title & recording | $1,400 | Title/escrow closing; editable estimate |
| Prorated property tax | $1,603 | Six months at the 1.33% effective rate (Census ACS 2024); depends on your closing date |
| State rate on the gain | 3.8% | The state's capital-gains rate in this site's dataset, applied to the whole recognized gain |
The commission, payoff, basis, depreciation, exclusion and federal rate are national defaults or your own inputs; the national page lists the source of each.
What this calculator does NOT model
A proceeds estimate is only trustworthy if it says where it stops. This one stops here:
- County, city and school-district transfer-tax add-ons, and every transfer-tax exemption (first-time buyer, low-value, intra-family, foreclosure). Only a modeled statewide base rate is applied.
- The section 121 ownership and use tests. You tell the calculator which exclusion you qualify for; it does not verify that you do. IRS Topic no. 701 has the tests.
- Reduced/partial section 121 exclusions, the suspension of the five-year period for qualified official extended duty, and the once-every-two-years limit.
- Installment sales, seller financing, and 1031 exchange deferral (use the 1031 exchange calculator for that path).
- Non-resident seller withholding, state transfer-tax clawbacks, and local mansion or luxury surtaxes.
- Any negotiated split of who pays the transfer tax. Custom varies; the field is editable and can be set to 0.
- Depreciation you were allowed but never claimed. It is still recaptured ("allowed or allowable") — enter it anyway.
If any line above applies to your sale, the number on this page is the wrong number for you — take it to your closing agent or a tax professional rather than adjusting it yourself.
StateCalc Team
Editorial Team
The StateCalc team builds free financial calculators using data from official government sources including the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, and state revenue departments. All formulas are validated by an automated test suite and cross-referenced against published data.
Our editorial standardsFrequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to sell a house in Iowa?
On this page's modeled defaults, selling the median $241,000 Iowa home costs about $13,836 before your mortgage payoff: $12,050 of agent commission at a negotiable 5%, $386 of state transfer tax at the modeled 0.16% base rate, and roughly $1,400 of settlement, title and recording fees. Add concessions and your property-tax proration, subtract your payoff, and that is your net at closing — before any tax on the gain.
What is the real estate transfer tax in Iowa?
Iowa's modeled statewide base transfer or deed tax is 0.16% of the sale price — about $386 on the state's $241,000 median home value. That is a modeled base rate only: county and city add-ons, exemptions and who customarily pays all vary within Iowa, so confirm the exact figure with the county recorder or department of revenue. The field on this page is editable, including down to 0 if your contract puts it on the buyer.
Do I need an attorney to sell a house in Iowa?
Iowa closings are typically handled by a title or escrow company, and a closing attorney is not customary. That reflects customary practice rather than a verified legal mandate, which is why the settlement-fee field here is an editable estimate pre-filled at $1,400 — you can set it to your actual quote or to $0. Confirm what your transaction requires with a local Iowa real estate attorney or your closing agent.
Do I pay Iowa tax on the profit from selling my house?
Iowa carries a 3.8% rate on capital gain in this dataset, applied on top of your federal tax on whatever gain you do not exclude. The federal $250,000/$500,000 primary-residence exclusion (IRS Topic no. 701) shelters most ordinary home sales, and states commonly follow the federal treatment of excluded gain — but that is a state-law question, not something this page determines. If the property was ever a rental, the depreciation portion is not excluded at either level.
How does Iowa's transfer tax compare with other states?
Iowa's modeled 0.16% statewide base rate is the 26th-highest of the 50 states in this dataset (Delaware is highest at 3%), and 15 states are modeled at 0%. On the same $400,000 sale that is $640 in Iowa, against $12,000 in Delaware. These are modeled statewide base rates without county or city add-ons; the national seller net proceeds page compares all 50 states.
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