Delaware 2023-2024 Regular Session

Delaware Senate Bill SB88 Latest Draft

Bill / Draft Version

                            SPONSOR:      Sen. Huxtable & Sen. Lockman & Rep. Lambert & Rep. Bush & Rep. K. Johnson & Rep. Parker Selby       Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hoffner, Townsend; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King, S. Moore           DELAWARE STATE SENATE   152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY       SENATE BILL NO. 88       AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE REALTY TRANSFER TAX.      

     

     SPONSOR:      Sen. Huxtable & Sen. Lockman & Rep. Lambert & Rep. Bush & Rep. K. Johnson & Rep. Parker Selby       Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hoffner, Townsend; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King, S. Moore     

SPONSOR: Sen. Huxtable & Sen. Lockman & Rep. Lambert & Rep. Bush & Rep. K. Johnson & Rep. Parker Selby
Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hoffner, Townsend; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King, S. Moore

 SPONSOR:  

 Sen. Huxtable & Sen. Lockman & Rep. Lambert & Rep. Bush & Rep. K. Johnson & Rep. Parker Selby 

 Sens. Gay, Hansen, Hoffner, Townsend; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King, S. Moore 

   

 DELAWARE STATE SENATE 

 152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY 

   

 SENATE BILL NO. 88 

   

 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE REALTY TRANSFER TAX. 

   

  BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:   Section 1. Amend 5402, Title 30 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:    5402. Rate of tax; when payable; exception [For application of this section, see 81 Del. Laws, c. 56, 2 and 81 Del. C. 384, 3].   (a) Every person who makes, executes, delivers, accepts or presents for recording any document, except as defined or described in 5401(5) of this title, or in whose behalf any document is made, executed, delivered, accepted or presented for recording shall be subject to pay for and in respect to the transaction, or any part thereof, a realty transfer tax at the rate of 3 percent of the value of the property represented by such document, unless the municipality or county where the property is located has enacted the full 1 percent realty transfer tax authorized by 1601 of Title 22 or 8102 of Title 9, in which case 2 percent, which tax shall be payable at the time of making, execution, delivery, acceptance or presenting of such document for recording. Said tax is to be apportioned equally between grantor and grantee.   (c) (1)  Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, for any first-time home buyer who enters into a transaction, on or after August 1, 2017,  but before [the effective date of this Act],  who would otherwise be subject to the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section, that portion of the realty transfer tax payable by the first-time home buyer shall be reduced by an amount equal to percent multiplied by the lesser of the value of the property or $400,000.    (2) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, for any first-time home buyer who enters into a transaction on or after [the effective date of this Act], who would otherwise be subject to the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section, that portion of the realty transfer tax payable by the first-time home buyer is as follows:   a. For property valued at or below $250,000, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced to 0%.   b. For property valued from $250,001 through $300,000, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced to 0.25%.   c. For property valued from $300,001 through $350,000, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced to 0.50%.   d. For property valued from $350,001 through $400,000, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced to 0.75%.   e. For property valued from $400,001 through $999,999, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced by an amount equal to 0.50% multiplied by $400,000.   f. For property valued at $1,000,000 or more, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is as set forth in subsection (a) of this section.   (3)  The first-time home buyer reduction set forth in this subsection shall apply to the grantees portion of the realty transfer tax as defined in subsection (a)  of this section  and shall not relieve the grantor from payment of the grantors portion of the realty transfer tax as defined in subsection (a)  of this section .      

 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE: 

 Section 1. Amend 5402, Title 30 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows: 

  5402. Rate of tax; when payable; exception [For application of this section, see 81 Del. Laws, c. 56, 2 and 81 Del. C. 384, 3]. 

 (a) Every person who makes, executes, delivers, accepts or presents for recording any document, except as defined or described in 5401(5) of this title, or in whose behalf any document is made, executed, delivered, accepted or presented for recording shall be subject to pay for and in respect to the transaction, or any part thereof, a realty transfer tax at the rate of 3 percent of the value of the property represented by such document, unless the municipality or county where the property is located has enacted the full 1 percent realty transfer tax authorized by 1601 of Title 22 or 8102 of Title 9, in which case 2 percent, which tax shall be payable at the time of making, execution, delivery, acceptance or presenting of such document for recording. Said tax is to be apportioned equally between grantor and grantee. 

 (c) (1)  Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, for any first-time home buyer who enters into a transaction, on or after August 1, 2017,  but before [the effective date of this Act],  who would otherwise be subject to the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section, that portion of the realty transfer tax payable by the first-time home buyer shall be reduced by an amount equal to percent multiplied by the lesser of the value of the property or $400,000.  

 (2) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, for any first-time home buyer who enters into a transaction on or after [the effective date of this Act], who would otherwise be subject to the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section, that portion of the realty transfer tax payable by the first-time home buyer is as follows: 

 a. For property valued at or below $250,000, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced to 0%. 

 b. For property valued from $250,001 through $300,000, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced to 0.25%. 

 c. For property valued from $300,001 through $350,000, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced to 0.50%. 

 d. For property valued from $350,001 through $400,000, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced to 0.75%. 

 e. For property valued from $400,001 through $999,999, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is reduced by an amount equal to 0.50% multiplied by $400,000. 

 f. For property valued at $1,000,000 or more, the rate of tax set forth in subsection (a) of this section is as set forth in subsection (a) of this section. 

 (3)  The first-time home buyer reduction set forth in this subsection shall apply to the grantees portion of the realty transfer tax as defined in subsection (a)  of this section  and shall not relieve the grantor from payment of the grantors portion of the realty transfer tax as defined in subsection (a)  of this section . 

   

  SYNOPSIS   This Act alters the State realty transfer tax credit offered to first-time home buyers.       Currently, there is a 0.50% reduction in the State realty transfer tax for first-time home buyers for the first $400,000 of value of the property.       This Act completely exempts the first $250,000 of value of property purchased by a first-time home buyer from their portion of the State realty transfer tax and removes the first-time homebuyer tax credit for property valued at $1,000,000 or more. Between $250,000 and $1,000,000, this Act establishes the realty transfer tax applicable to a first-time homebuyer as follows:   (1) For property valued from $250,001 through $300,000, the realty transfer tax is reduced to 0.25%.   (2) For property valued from $300,001 through $350,000, the realty transfer tax is reduced to 0.50%.   (3) For property valued from $350,001 through $400,000, the realty transfer tax is reduced to 0.75%.   (4) For property valued from $400,001 through $999,999, the realty transfer tax is reduced by an amount equal to 0.50% multiplied by $400,000. This provides property valued from $400,001 through $999,999 the current realty transfer tax credit offered to first-time home buyers.      This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.   Author: Senator Huxtable  

 SYNOPSIS 

 This Act alters the State realty transfer tax credit offered to first-time home buyers.  

  

 Currently, there is a 0.50% reduction in the State realty transfer tax for first-time home buyers for the first $400,000 of value of the property.  

  

 This Act completely exempts the first $250,000 of value of property purchased by a first-time home buyer from their portion of the State realty transfer tax and removes the first-time homebuyer tax credit for property valued at $1,000,000 or more. Between $250,000 and $1,000,000, this Act establishes the realty transfer tax applicable to a first-time homebuyer as follows: 

 (1) For property valued from $250,001 through $300,000, the realty transfer tax is reduced to 0.25%. 

 (2) For property valued from $300,001 through $350,000, the realty transfer tax is reduced to 0.50%. 

 (3) For property valued from $350,001 through $400,000, the realty transfer tax is reduced to 0.75%. 

 (4) For property valued from $400,001 through $999,999, the realty transfer tax is reduced by an amount equal to 0.50% multiplied by $400,000. This provides property valued from $400,001 through $999,999 the current realty transfer tax credit offered to first-time home buyers. 

  

 This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. 

 Author: Senator Huxtable