Impuesto de Sellos in Buenos Aires: What Foreign Buyers Pay and How It Works

The impuesto de sellos (stamp tax) is the largest single closing cost a foreign buyer will encounter in Argentina. It's also one of the most misunderstood, partly because rates vary by province and the exemption structures differ significantly between the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) and Buenos Aires Province (PBA). Getting this wrong when budgeting for a purchase can mean a surprise five-figure shortfall at the closing table.

What the Impuesto de Sellos Actually Taxes

The stamp tax is a provincial tax levied on the execution of onerous contracts and public deeds — meaning it's triggered by the act of signing a binding agreement that transfers valuable rights. In the context of real estate, it applies to the escritura pública (the final property deed) and, depending on jurisdiction, can also apply to the boleto de compraventa (preliminary purchase contract).

The key distinction: this is not a federal tax. Each Argentine province sets its own rate, its own calculation methodology, and its own exemption thresholds. What applies in Buenos Aires City doesn't apply in Mendoza, and neither applies in Córdoba.

Rates by Major Jurisdiction (2026)

For foreign buyers purchasing in Buenos Aires City or Province — where most international real estate activity is concentrated — the rate will almost certainly apply in full. The primary residence exemption (única vivienda) is designed for Argentine residents establishing their main domicile. A non-resident foreign buyer purchasing an investment property or second home will not qualify.

How the Split Works in Practice

By widespread market convention, the total stamp tax cost is divided 50/50 between buyer and seller. This is not a legal requirement — it's a negotiable term established during the boleto de compraventa phase. In a buyer's market or when there's price pressure, the buyer might negotiate to shift a larger proportion onto the seller, or vice versa.

Example: CABA purchase at $250,000 USD

Assuming the fiscal threshold for the única vivienda exemption is not triggered (as would be the case for a foreign non-resident investment buyer), the full 3.5% applies:

• Total stamp tax: $250,000 × 3.5% = $8,750 USD
• Buyer's share (50/50 split): $4,375 USD
• Seller's share: $4,375 USD

Example: Buenos Aires Province purchase at $200,000 USD

At 2.0% applied to the full transaction value:

• Total stamp tax: $200,000 × 2.0% = $4,000 USD
• Buyer's share: $2,000 USD
• Seller's share: $2,000 USD

Note the structural difference: in CABA, the surplus methodology can limit the taxable base for Argentine primary-residence buyers who qualify for the exemption, but in PBA, once the property value crosses the threshold, the 2% applies to the entire amount — not just the excess. This design makes PBA's effective rate, while nominally lower, occasionally more aggressive for mid-range property values that just clear the threshold.

How the Escribano Handles It

The escribano (civil-law notary) who executes your escritura is a mandatory withholding agent for the stamp tax. At the closing table, the escribano calculates the total tax due, physically withholds each party's share from the funds exchanged, and remits the payment directly to the provincial revenue authority. You won't be sending a separate check — it comes out of the closing.

The escribano's calculation will be based on the declared transaction price in the deed. One critical warning: Argentina has a history of "declarar una parte en blanco" — declaring a lower value in the official deed and paying the balance in informal cash. This practice reduces stamp taxes and escribano fees on paper, but it creates a chain of custody problem. When you sell years later, your official purchase price is understated, which inflates your apparent capital gain and can trigger a higher Impuesto a las Ganancias liability, or creates complications in documenting the origin of funds. The correct approach — and the one recommended to any foreign buyer subject to international AML scrutiny — is to declare the full, actual transaction price.

Total Closing Costs in Context

The stamp tax is the largest single component, but it's one of several costs foreign buyers need to budget. A complete closing cost picture for a CABA purchase:

Total buyer-side closing costs: approximately 6%–9% of the purchase price. On a $200,000 USD transaction, budget $12,000–$18,000 in closing costs above the purchase price.

Recent Tax Changes That Affect Sellers (But Matter for Your Negotiation)

Two seller-side tax changes since 2024 affect market dynamics in ways that matter to buyers:

ITI abolition (Law 27.743, July 2024): The federal 1.5% property transfer tax (Impuesto a la Transferencia de Inmuebles) was completely eliminated for properties acquired before January 1, 2018. Sellers of older properties who previously faced this cost — and sometimes factored it into their asking price — no longer have it. This freed up supply and improved seller willingness to transact at current prices.

Capital gains tax (cedular regime): For properties acquired on or after January 1, 2018, the ITI never applied. Instead, sales are subject to a 15% capital gains tax on net profit (purchase price, inflation-adjusted, subtracted from sale price). The escribano withholds this at closing. If the property was the seller's primary residence, it's exempt entirely.

Understanding these dynamics helps in price negotiations: a seller of a pre-2018 property who previously factored the ITI into their pricing may be more motivated to meet market prices now that their exit costs have dropped.

For the full breakdown of closing costs, stamp tax by province, and the complete purchase process for foreign buyers, see the Buying Property in Argentina — Expat Guide.

See more Argentina guides →