If your Seller is not a resident of the State of
Maryland, or if your seller is not an entity (corporation, limited liability
company) formed in the State of Maryland or registered with the Maryland State
Department of Assessments and Taxation to do business in Maryland, then the Seller
will have to pay a withholding tax on the sale of the property. The amount due can vary from year to year,
but the rate is currently 8% for an individual and 8.25% for an entity.
The tax is calculated on a figure known as the Total
Payment. This is based not on the sales
price, or the net proceeds, but rather on a somewhat complex formula starting
with the sales price and subtracting out most closing costs such as
commissions, transfer taxes, loan payoffs
(it doesn’t count if you take out a mortgage inside 90 days before
settlement!) and certain other closing fees.
The withholding tax will be collected by Village Settlements and must be
paid to the State of Maryland at the time of recording the Deed. Our team will also prepare the appropriate
forms for the Seller to use when preparing their taxes.
It is possible to obtain a full or partial exemption
from payment of the withholding tax at settlement by contacting the Comptroller
of the State of Maryland at 1-800-MDTAXES. This process can take 3 weeks or more
to obtain an Exemption Certificate (it will be mailed directly to Village
Settlements.) We must
have the Exemption Certificate in hand at or before settlement in order to
waive the collection of some or all of the tax. An excellent booklet answering
many questions related to this tax can be found here: https://www.marylandtaxes.gov/forms/current_forms/withholding_requirement.pdf
If you are unsure about whether your seller is subject
to the non-resident withholding tax, please contact the attorneys at Village
Settlements, Inc., one of the area’s best known title companies for three
decades. Call us at 301-590-9300 or
submit your question through the “Ask a Question” button on our website, www.villagesettlements.com
