Iowa Real Estate Practice Exam 2026 – Full Prep Resource

The basis for the state transfer tax levied on property owners in Iowa is the selling price of the property. This means that the transfer tax is calculated based on the actual amount for which the property is sold, rather than an estimated value or other assessments. The selling price reflects the agreed-upon price between the buyer and the seller, providing a clear and straightforward metric for determining the tax amount due at the time of the property transfer.

Using the selling price ensures that the tax is directly related to a real transaction, making it a fair and equitable method for assessing transfer taxes. It is important for property owners to be aware of this, as the selling price will directly impact their closing costs related to the transfer of ownership.

On the other hand, appraised value, market value, and tax assessed value do not serve as bases for the transfer tax calculation in Iowa. While these valuations are useful for various purposes, such as determining property tax obligations or establishing a property's worth in the market, they do not reflect the final transaction price and therefore are not used for calculating the transfer tax.