Piedmont's Transfer Tax Is on the Ballot. Here's Who Actually Pays It, and When.

If Measure GG passes on November 3, Piedmont's transfer tax goes from 1.3% of the sale price to 1.75% on July 1, 2027. The city's spring 2026 budget committee memo put Piedmont's year-to-date average sale price at about $3.3 million and the tax on that home at roughly $42,500 under the current rate. At 1.75%, a $3.3 million sale would owe $57,750. That works out to about $15,000 more on one transaction, with a single date deciding which rate applies.

Most of the coverage frames GG as Piedmont raising taxes. The tax is narrower than that. It is charged once, only when a property changes hands, and it pays for a city that has almost no other place to collect from. Even after the increase, Piedmont's flat rate would sit at or below what Oakland and Berkeley charge on homes in the same price range.

The calendar that matters for 2027 sales

For anyone planning a sale or purchase in the next year, these are the dates to know:

1. November 3, 2026. Piedmont votes on Measure GG. It needs a simple majority.
2. January 1, 2027. Berkeley's Measure W takes effect next door. It adds 3% and 3.5% tiers on higher-priced sales there.
3. Spring 2027. Piedmont's busy listing season. Homes that go under contract in March, April and May will mostly close before the new rate starts.
4. July 1, 2027. If GG passes, Piedmont's rate goes from $13 to $17.50 per $1,000 of sale price.

A June contract with a long escrow could run past that date, and an escrow officer can confirm how the effective date applies to a specific closing. The Piedmont Exedra's report on the July council vote gives the July 1, 2027 effective date. Nothing published so far discusses whether sellers will try to close before it. Most spring sales would close before July 1 anyway, so the deadline matters most for slow escrows, delayed listings and anything that goes to contract in early summer.

Who carries the tax at the closing table

According to the city's own explanation, Piedmont's tax is levied once, at sale, on transfers for more than $100. Who pays it comes down to custom, and the custom can be changed. The budget committee's recommendation describes the Alameda County practice. The seller usually pays the county tax, and the buyer and seller usually split the city tax equally. Either side is free to negotiate something else.

The county tax is a separate charge. Alameda County's documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000, and GG does not change it.

Under the usual 50/50 split, each side of a $3.3 million sale would pay about $7,400 more after July 1, 2027. In a competitive spring market, sellers often use the split as a bargaining chip, offering to cover the city tax or asking the buyer to cover more of it. A bigger tax makes that offer worth more.

Some transfers are exempt. The committee's memo lists transfers between trusts, gifts, transfers to government agencies, transfers in a dissolution of marriage, and transfers at death. For an inherited home or a property moving through a divorce, that list matters as much as the rate. This is general information, not legal or tax advice, so check how the rules apply to your own transfer with your escrow officer, attorney or tax professional.

Why a city with almost no retail depends on sales

The reason GG is a transfer tax, and not some other kind of tax, comes from what Piedmont is. The committee's memo says Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and San Leandro all have much larger commercial and industrial tax bases. Piedmont is almost entirely residential and has very little commercial activity. That leaves it more dependent on the transfer tax than its neighbors. In June, the Piedmont Exedra reported Councilmember Tom Ramsey's estimate that transfer tax brings in about 10% of the city budget.

Because the tax depends on how many homes sell and for how much, the revenue swings a lot from year to year:

Revenue roughly doubled between FY 2015–16 and the peak in FY 2020–21, then settled back down. The committee called recent years more stable and said nothing guarantees they will stay that way. It also noted that the city has spent $3 million to $6 million a year on facilities maintenance and capital improvements. The city's June 2026 budget update said the Facilities Capital Fund had been significantly drawn down.

The volume is small. The committee looked at 129 transactions in the 12 months ending May 5, 2026, and described typical volume as about 120 sales a year. The city estimates GG would raise about $1.5 million more each year. Divided across roughly 120 sales, that is more than $12,000 per transaction. A homeowner who stays put pays none of it. The rate was set at $13 per $1,000 in 1993 and has not changed since.

How the rate compares at Piedmont prices

Piedmont would keep a flat rate, so the same percentage applies at every price. Oakland and Berkeley use tiers, and their tiers work as a cliff: once a sale crosses a threshold, the higher rate applies to the entire price, not just the part above the line. Under Oakland's published schedule, a $2,000,000 sale pays 1.5%, or $30,000. A sale one dollar higher pays 1.75%, or about $35,000.

Here is the city portion of the tax on a $3.3 million sale under each city's current published rate:

Berkeley's figure will go up. The city's page says Measure W, effective January 1, 2027, adds a 3% tier and a 3.5% tier at thresholds that will be recalculated before they take effect. So a household comparing a Piedmont home with one in the Berkeley hills at the same price is comparing a 1.75% rate with a Berkeley rate that is already higher and rising. Comparing with Oakland, a home anywhere between $2 million and $5 million would pay the same rate in either city. Piedmont's flat structure also means no single price point triggers a jump, so negotiating near a threshold doesn't come into it.

The committee reached the same conclusion. It said the increase would put Piedmont above several cities' flat rates but below the higher tiers Berkeley, Emeryville and Oakland charge on homes in this price range. It also looked at a tiered option for Piedmont. The council chose a flat rate.

How GG reached the ballot

Piedmont has tried this before. Measure TT, a transfer tax increase on the November 2020 ballot, failed by a small margin. This time the Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee recommended a ballot measure, and on July 20, 2026 the City Council voted to place GG on the ballot. The Exedra reported the vote as unanimous. The city says no argument against GG was filed by the August 3 deadline. The Exedra has also reported on mailers and online ads from a "No on GG" committee funded by the California Association of Realtors. It cited a campaign finance report from East Bay Insiders showing $10,000 spent so far. The city's election page links to the full text of the measure, the City Attorney's impartial analysis and the argument in favor.

A few questions that come up often

Does GG change my annual property tax bill? No. The transfer tax is a one-time charge when property sells.

If I'm in contract this spring, which rate applies? The city's election page says that if GG passes, the new rate takes effect July 1, 2027, and the full text of Measure GG has the exact wording. Before you count on a particular rate, ask your escrow officer or a tax professional how that date applies to your own transfer.

Does the county tax go up too? No. Alameda County's $1.10 per $1,000 is a separate charge and GG does not affect it.

Is the 50/50 split required? No. The city calls it the typical arrangement and says buyers and sellers can agree to something else.

If you're thinking about selling a Piedmont home in 2027, the closing date may now matter as much as the list date. Salt & Pine Real Estate can help you work backward from July 1, 2027, plan your prep around a realistic escrow, and see what the transfer tax would mean at your likely price. Get your home value and we'll run the numbers with you.