Recording Fees

Fees

Recording fees are now the same whether you own Recorded Land or Registered Land. Most property is Recorded Land. If the document you wish to record refers to a “Book and Page” number, you probably have Recorded Land. If your document refers to a “Certificate of Title” number, you probably have Registered Land.

Community Preservation Act Fee Increase

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Fiscal Year 2020 budget included a provision aimed at increasing funds available to towns and cities through the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The budget signed by Governor Baker included the following language amending sections of the M.G.L. and increasing the fees collected at the registries of deeds for the CPA.

• “SECTION 29. Section 8 of chapter 44B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 3, 8 and 23, the figure “$20” and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following figure:- $50.”
• “SECTION 30. Said section 8 of said chapter 44B, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 10, 14 and 24, the figure “$10” and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following figure:- $25.”

The current and new fee schedules are shown in the table below.

Excise Calculator

The effective tax rate is $4.56 per $1000 or fraction thereof of taxable value. There is no excise tax due where the consideration stated is less than $100.00.