Some costs have a clear rule in the law, one of the largest (the registry fee) has its brackets set in a unit that no longer works, and the biggest risk is not a tax but an irregular charge at the registry.
Who pays each cost
| Cost | Who pays it | What the rules say |
|---|---|---|
| ISLR (income tax) advance (0.5% of the price) | Seller | Fixed in the Ley de Impuesto sobre la Renta |
| Tax on the gain | Seller | Rate of 6% to 34% (individuals) |
| Registry fee | Whatever is agreed in the opción de compra-venta (purchase option agreement) | 2% cap, but the unit of calculation no longer works |
| Municipal tax on the transfer | Buyer | From 1 to 5 unidades tributarias (tax units) depending on the value |
| Solvencia municipal (municipal tax clearance) | Seller (it is their debt) | Required to register; varies by municipality |
| Broker's commission | Whatever the contract says | No percentage set by law |
| Lawyer | Whatever is agreed | No official public fee schedule |
| IGTF (financial transactions tax, 3%) | Whoever pays in foreign currency, in certain cases | Depends on how and to whom payment is made |
Seller's taxes
The ISLR advance is 0.5% of the price. It is set by article 86 of the Ley de Impuesto sobre la Renta (Gaceta Oficial N.º 6.210 Extraordinario, 2015). The seller self-assesses it, pays it and presents the receipt to the registrar before signing. Without that form, the registrar is prohibited from recording the sale, under article 97 of the Ley de Registros y Notarías.
It is credited against the tax on the annual return, and if the sale does not go through, a refund is requested. The exemption by amount (transactions under 3,000 unidades tributarias) covers practically no home: with the U.T. at Bs 43 since June 2025, that is Bs 129,000.
When the advance is not paid. If the property is registered with SENIAT (the national tax authority) as a vivienda principal (primary residence) and the seller presents the certificate of that registration before the deed is signed (article 86, Parágrafo Primero). If it is not registered, do it before looking for a buyer.
The tax on the gain is a separate matter. If the seller is an individual, the gain is added to the year's income and taxed under the rate schedule of article 50, from 6% to 34%; for non-residents, a flat 34%. The portion above 6,000 U.T. (Bs 258,000) pays 34%, so almost any gain of some size reaches that bracket. How to work out the cost of a property bought in bolívares years ago is a question for your accountant.
The primary residence certificate saves the advance, but the gain is only excluded if the conditions of article 17 are met: that the property was registered as a primary residence (if not, the seller must prove they used it as such in the previous four years), that the money is reinvested in another registered primary residence within the following two years (or was invested in the previous year), and that SENIAT is notified. If you reinvest only part, only that part is excluded. People over 60 do not need to reinvest.
Registry and notary
The Ley de Registros y Notarías (Gaceta Oficial N.º 6.668 Extraordinario, 2021) sets, in numeral 7 of its article 83, the fee for registering a sale:
The law tells SAREN (the national registries and notaries service) to set its fees by providencia (administrative ruling) within those limits, but the providencia in force for Registros Públicos (No. 001, Gaceta Oficial 42.301 of 2022) sets no amount of its own for this fee, so the law's percentages apply. They are paid in bolívares at the value of the petro on the day of the application, and each registry must display the providencia in a visible place. If the opción de compra-venta is signed at a notary, article 86 sets a fee of up to 2 petros.
The problem: the petro (Venezuela's state cryptocurrency) stopped working in January 2024, when the Plataforma Patria (government services platform) closed its wallets, according to AFP in Swissinfo. We found no published rule saying which unit replaces it for these fees. The only firm figure is the 2% cap.
Overcharging. In August 2026, El Nacional reported complaints about registries demanding between 15% and 25%. Fernando Di Gerónimo, president of the Cámara Inmobiliaria Metropolitana, said the amount "has to be 2%" and that some registries appraise the property at up to twice what was paid in order to charge on that figure. What you can do:
Exemptions. On July 4, 2026, SAREN published the announcement by acting president Delcy Rodríguez that "all fees" linked to rental and purchase registrations would be waived. The headline limits it to the areas affected by the June earthquakes; the sentence does not. It cites no decree and we found none published. Ask at the registry and get the answer in writing.
Clearances: municipal and condominium
Without the solvencia de impuestos municipales (municipal tax clearance) for the property, the registrar cannot record the sale either (article 97). Each alcaldía (city hall) has its own procedure and fees. If the seller owes years of tax, catching up can be the highest municipal cost.
In addition, article 91 creates a municipal tax on the transfer, paid by the buyer before recording: from 1 U.T. (for a value up to 2,000 U.T.) to 5 U.T. (more than 6,500 U.T.). Confirm the amount in bolívares with the alcaldía.
Article 97 does not require the solvencia de condominio (condominium dues clearance) to register, but always ask for it. Article 13 of the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal says that debt for common expenses always follows the property, even debt from before the purchase. If the seller left unpaid dues, you may have to pay them and claim them back from the seller afterward. Ask about approved special assessments.
Broker, lawyer and IGTF
Broker. No law sets the commission. The Código de Ética de la Cámara Inmobiliaria de Venezuela, which binds its members, requires fees to be agreed by contract, as a percentage or a fixed amount, and prohibits charging a "sobreprecio" (markup) (article 15). In the industry, a 5% paid by the seller is mentioned, with no official source to back it. It is negotiable; put in writing what happens to it if the sale does not go through.
Lawyer. Every document presented at the registry must be drafted and visado (reviewed and stamped) by a lawyer (article 23 of the Ley de Registros y Notarías), and there is no official public fee schedule. Ask for a written quote and ask whether it includes the clearances, the tradición legal (title history) and going with you to the registry.
IGTF. The 2022 reform (Gaceta Oficial N.º 6.687 Extraordinario) charges 3% to whoever pays in foreign currency in two cases (articles 4 and 24): within the national banking system, or to a contribuyente especial (special taxpayer) without going through financial institutions. A cash payment between individuals who are not special taxpayers does not fit those cases, as Prodavinci reads it, while warning that SENIAT rulings have taxed foreign-currency payments made through payment gateways. Confirm it with your accountant.
Example: a $100,000 sale
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ISLR advance (seller) | $500 | $0 with a primary residence certificate |
| Registry fee | Up to $2,000 | 2% legal cap |
| Broker's commission | $5,000 | Only if 5% is agreed; negotiable |
| IGTF (whoever pays in foreign currency) | $0 or $3,000 | 3% only in the taxed cases |
| Clearances, lawyer, municipal tax | Variable | Ask for a written quote |
What you should not have to pay, but has been reported: a registry fee of 15% to 25%, that is, between $15,000 and $25,000.
Before signing the opción de compra-venta, ask for the primary residence certificate and the municipal and condominium clearances, and put in writing who pays each cost. For a specific transaction, consult a lawyer and an accountant.
Clarification, 27 October 2026: an earlier version said SAREN sets the registry fee for a sale by providencia. The providencia in force sets no amount of its own for that fee, so the law's percentages apply.