Costs of Selling Land in Mississippi

Here is what a land seller usually pays in this state, from transfer tax to capital gains. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs and you pay no fees or commissions.

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Seller Costs in Mississippi at a Glance

Cost	Typical amount	Who usually pays
State real estate transfer tax	None	Not applicable
Deed recording fee	$25 for the first five pages ($26 in counties with an archive fee), plus $1 per added page	Set in the purchase contract
Title search, title opinion or title insurance	Varies	By local custom, set in the contract
Closing or settlement fee	Varies	Often split, set in the contract
Prorated property taxes	Your share of the tax bill up to closing day	Each side pays for the days it owns the land, per the contract
Federal capital gains tax	0%, 15% or 20% on the gain if you owned the land more than one year; ordinary income rates if one year or less	Seller, on the tax return
Mississippi income tax on the gain	0% on the first $10,000 of taxable income; 4.4% above that for 2025 and 4% for 2026	Seller, on the Mississippi return

Example: Seller Costs on a $25,000 Land Sale

State transfer tax: $0
Deed recording fee, first five pages, if the contract assigns it to the seller: $25
Total sourced seller costs: $25

Mississippi has no transfer tax, so the only fixed line is recording. A deed of five pages or less costs $25 ($26 in archive fee counties). Title, closing and prorated tax lines vary and are left out. When you sell to EasyLotBuyer, we pay the closing costs.

Selling Costs in Mississippi: What to Know

Mississippi has no state real estate transfer tax, so the main costs of selling land are recording, title work, the closing fee, prorated property taxes and income tax on any gain.

This page lists each cost, who usually pays, and a worked example for a $25,000 lot. Fees and rates come from a chancery clerk fee schedule, the Mississippi Department of Revenue and the IRS. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Who pays what in a Mississippi land sale

With no transfer tax, most seller costs come from the contract. Common seller items are payoff of any loans or liens, back property taxes and the seller's share of this year's taxes. Title work, the closing fee and recording are set in the purchase contract and by local custom.

Set by the contract: title work, closing fee, recording fees.
Shared by days owned: property taxes for the year of sale.
Seller alone: any mortgage, lien or back tax payoff, paid from the proceeds.

Recording fees at the chancery clerk

Deeds are recorded with the chancery clerk in the county where the land sits. The Harrison County chancery clerk lists $25 for a deed, or $26 in counties that charge an archive fee, which covers the first five pages, plus $1 for each added page. Check your county clerk's schedule before closing.

Attorney or title company closing

Many Mississippi land sales close with a real estate attorney who examines the title and prepares the deed. Title companies also close sales. Either way, ask for a written quote for title work and the closing fee before you agree to who pays.

An attorney helps most when the land passed through an estate, has heirs who all must sign, or has old liens on the record.

Capital gains basics: federal and Mississippi

Your gain is the sale price, less selling costs, less your basis. Basis usually starts with what you paid for the land and grows with costs like surveys you paid to buy it or improvements such as a road or well. Land you inherited or got as a gift has its own basis rules. See IRS Topic 703.

If you owned the land more than one year, the federal long-term rate is 0%, 15% or 20%, based on your taxable income. If you owned it one year or less, the gain is taxed at your regular rates. See IRS Topic 409. Higher earners can also owe the 3.8% net investment income tax.

The closing agent usually reports the sale to the IRS on Form 1099-S. You report the sale on your own return even if you had a loss.

Mississippi taxes capital gains at the same rates as other income. The first $10,000 of taxable income is taxed at 0%. Income above that is taxed at 4.4% for 2025 and 4% for 2026, per the Mississippi Department of Revenue.

Sellers who live outside Mississippi may have state income tax withheld at closing on some sales. The department publishes an affidavit for withholding on sales by nonresidents; ask your closing agent if it applies. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.

How selling to a cash buyer changes your costs

A listed sale often carries an agent commission plus the seller lines above. A sale to a cash buyer like EasyLotBuyer skips the commission. We charge no fees or commissions, and we pay the closing costs, so lines like these do not come out of your check.

On a Mississippi sale that means you do not pay the title, closing or recording lines in our deal. Mississippi is a non-disclosure state, so public sale prices are hard to find; our offer calculator shows how we think about price.

We make a cash offer within 24 hours and can close in as few as 7 days. We also buy land with back taxes, liens, title issues or no road access, and land held by heirs or an estate. Back taxes are paid at closing from the sale. Taxes on your own gain stay with you, so talk to a tax professional about that part. Start with a free land value estimate or see how we buy land in Mississippi.

Sources

Rules and fees change; check with the county before you act on them.

Selling Cost Questions in Mississippi

Does Mississippi have a real estate transfer tax?

No. Mississippi does not charge a state transfer tax when land is sold.

What are typical seller closing costs in Mississippi?

Recording, title work, the closing or attorney fee, your share of property taxes, and any liens or loans paid off. Most are split by the contract.

How much does it cost to record a deed in Mississippi?

$25 for the first five pages, or $26 in counties with an archive fee, plus $1 for each added page, per a chancery clerk fee schedule.

Does Mississippi tax capital gains on land?

Yes, as regular income. The first $10,000 of taxable income is taxed at 0%, and income above that at 4% for 2026.

Do I need an attorney to sell land in Mississippi?

Many sales close with an attorney, and title companies close sales too. Ask the closing office what it requires for your sale.

Does EasyLotBuyer charge any fees?

No. We charge no fees or commissions, and we pay the closing costs.