The Quick Read: Florida taxes the full amount of the new mortgage, not just the cash you take out. The statewide note-side rate is 35 cents per $100 of the loan, with any fraction rounded up to the next hundred. Miami-Dade’s extra deed charges belong to deeds, so they generally stay out of a refinance that does not move title. A separate intangible tax on the mortgage is added on top.
What Are Doc Stamps, and Why Does a VA Loan Owe Them?
Doc stamps are Florida’s documentary stamp tax. The state charges them on paperwork that creates a debt, and a mortgage is exactly that.
VA cash-out estimate
Seeded with an example value, a typical balance, and a round cash request at the first-use fee; change any field.
Editable benchmark: 7.18% as of November 5, 2026 · Freddie Mac 30-year average via FRED®. A conventional market reference, not a VA cash-out refinance quote.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $350,000 home value, a $193,000 current balance, the full-value VA cap with the first-use funding fee financed, a thirty-year term at the current Freddie Mac benchmark, and property taxes and insurance estimated at typical national rates. Every field is editable.
Illustrative estimate only — not a Loan Estimate, approval, quote, or commitment to lend. The rate field carries the weekly Freddie Mac thirty-year conventional benchmark, a market reference and not a VA cash-out refinance quote; a VA loan is priced by the lender at lock. The total loan, funding fee included, is capped at the program leverage on the reasonable value; the fee follows the tier chosen. The cash available is what the cap allows less the balances paid off and the fee, before closing costs, which are not included. The HELOC line is the line program’s combined loan-to-value ceiling applied to the same value and balance. Taxes and insurance are editable estimates. The debt-to-income figure is a guideline; residual income decides a VA file. Licensed in sixteen states for consumer mortgages.
The Florida Department of Revenue says the tax is due on the full amount of the obligation, at 35 cents per $100 or portion thereof. Mortgages and other liens are taxed when filed and recorded, and the base is the full indebtedness secured. The statute behind it is Section 201.08 of the Florida Statutes.
Here is the part that surprises veterans. A VA loan does not exempt you. The VA’s own fee schedule, 38 CFR 36.4313, lists recording fees and recording taxes among the charges a veteran may pay. The state tax is a government charge, not a lender fee. It also is not the VA funding fee.
Lendmire’s VA cash-out refinance program page covers how the loan itself works.
Key Terms Defined
Doc stamps (documentary stamp tax): Florida’s tax on written debt, charged on the new loan amount when the mortgage is recorded.
Intangible tax: A separate Florida tax on the mortgage itself, charged on the actual loan amount without the round-up.
Funding fee: A one-time charge paid to the VA on a VA-backed loan. It goes to the program, not to the state.
Recording fee: The clerk’s charge for putting the mortgage into the public record. It is different from the taxes above.
Reasonable value: The appraised value the VA uses to cap your loan.
Note and mortgage: The note is your promise to repay. The mortgage is the lien on the home that secures that promise.
How Is the Mortgage Doc Stamp Calculated?
The formula has three steps. Take the final note amount, divide by 100, and round any fraction up to a whole number. Then multiply by $0.35.
The Miami-Dade Clerk’s Official Records page lists mortgage stamps at $0.35 per $100, rounded up to the nearest hundred.
Run a round-number illustration. Say the final note is $300,000. That is 3,000 hundreds, and 3,000 times $0.35 is $1,050. Now say the note is $300,001. The extra dollar pushes it to 3,001 hundreds, so the tax rises by 35 cents. That is the whole rounding rule. The numbers here are arithmetic only, not a quote for any real loan.
The tax scales straight with the loan. Take more equity, and the tax goes up.
Is the Intangible Tax Separate?
Yes. It is computed on the actual amount, not rounded up.
Both taxes are collected when the mortgage is recorded. That is how the office knows what base to tax.
Think of it as two lines on the same debt. One is doc stamps. One is intangible tax. Recording fees come on top as a third, smaller line.
What Counts as the “New Loan Amount” on a VA Cash-Out?
Many borrowers lose the thread here. The tax base is the final note, and the final note is built from several pieces.
Across the VA cash-out loans we arrange, the note amount adds up like this:
1. The payoff of your existing loan.
2. Allowed closing costs you choose to finance.
3. The VA funding fee, if you finance it.
4. The cash you take out.
All of it must stay within the VA ceiling. For a cash-out, that ceiling is 100% of the appraised value, funding fee included. The VA Lenders Handbook, Chapter 6 says the loan may not exceed 100 percent of reasonable value, and that closing costs, including the funding fee, can be paid from loan proceeds within that limit.
First, the tax is on the whole note, not just the new money. If you owe a large balance and pull a small check, you still pay stamps on the entire loan. The old loan’s earlier stamps do not offset it, because the new note is a new taxable debt.
Second, financing the funding fee does raise the base. A bigger note means slightly more tax. The effect is small but real.
Why the Final Number Is Only Known After the Appraisal
The appraisal sets the ceiling. Until it comes back, the cap is a guess. The funding fee sits inside that cap, so the final note amount settles only once the value and the fee are fixed.
That is why a Loan Estimate early in the process can shift. The tax lines move with the note. Your Closing Disclosure shows the final figures. VA’s Circular 26-17-11 says lenders must document all allowable fees and charges on that disclosure, so every tax line should be visible to you.
Type I and Type II: Does the Loan Type Change the Tax?
No. Doc stamps apply to both.
VA defines a Type I cash-out as one where the new loan, funding fee included, does not exceed the payoff. A Type II exceeds the payoff, so you receive cash. The VA circular on cash-out loans sets out both. The tax follows the new note and mortgage, not the cash that lands in your account.
What differs is the cash. A Type II pays cash out to you, and the taxes and costs are deducted from the proceeds before you see the check.
Does Miami-Dade Add Extra Charges to a Refinance?
Usually not on the note side. Borrowers often mix up the deed-side charges with the note-side ones.
The Clerk’s page lists a deed rate of $0.60 per $100 and a surtax of $0.45 per $100 under Miami-Dade County Code 29-7(D). Those are deed-side items. A cash-out refinance records a new note and mortgage, but no new deed. So the deed stamp and the surtax do not enter the math unless title is also changing hands.
The Clerk’s page does not spell that out in a sentence. It follows from how the schedule is organized, and title agents commonly treat the note rate as the same statewide. Ask your title agent to confirm it on your file. Do not assume.
| Item | Applies to a cash-out refinance? |
|---|---|
| Mortgage doc stamps ($0.35 per $100) | Yes |
| Intangible tax on the mortgage | Yes |
| Deed stamps ($0.60 per $100 in Miami-Dade) | Only if title transfers |
| Miami-Dade surtax | Only if title transfers |
| VA funding fee | Yes, unless exempt |
Where the General Rule Breaks
The formula is steady. These edge cases are where borrowers get tripped up.
A deed is involved. Suppose you add or remove a spouse during the refinance, or buy out a former partner. Now title moves, and the deed side wakes up. The Department of Revenue’s documentary stamp tax guide says tax is generally due on half of the outstanding mortgage balance when mortgaged property is transferred. That is a separate topic from the note tax. Get it priced by the title agent before you commit.
The $2,450 cap. The same guide states a maximum of $2,450 on unsecured notes. That cap applies to the note, not to the tax on a recorded mortgage. Do not count on it to limit your VA loan. Your loan is secured by a recorded mortgage, so the cap does not protect you.
Note versus mortgage. The statute has separate hooks for each. In practice, the tax is collected once per debt. The safest way to say it is that the tax is calculated on the new loan amount. Let the title or closing agent confirm how it is collected on your file.
The IRRRL. That is the VA’s streamlined refinance of an existing VA loan, a different product with a 0.5% funding fee. Florida still taxes the new note. The tax is a feature of recording a new debt, not of the VA program.
Notes signed outside Florida. It does not help here. A VA loan secured by Miami-Dade property carries a recorded mortgage, and that triggers the tax anyway.
Who Pays, and Can It Be Financed?
You pay. A refinance has no seller, so there is no one to shift the cost to. In a purchase, the seller customarily pays deed stamps and the buyer pays the mortgage-side taxes. With a refinance, the borrower carries the mortgage-side taxes.
Can you finance them? Often, yes, within the 100% ceiling. Chapter 6 allows closing costs to come from proceeds as long as the loan stays within the maximum. The trade-off is simple. Financed costs shrink the check you receive and raise the balance.
The VA’s allowable-charges rules also treat these taxes separately from lender origination charges. The VA circular lists recording charges and taxes and assessments among the common allowable items. So the “1% cap” some veterans hear about does not stop recording taxes from being charged.
Doc Stamps vs. the Funding Fee
The two are easy to confuse, but they are not the same thing.
| Item | Doc stamps | VA funding fee |
|---|---|---|
| Paid to | State of Florida | VA program |
| Based on | Full note amount | Loan amount and use |
| Exemptions | None from VA | Exempt veterans, such as those receiving disability compensation |
| Financeable | Often, within the ceiling | Yes |
On the program side, the funding fee for a cash-out refinance is 2.15% for first use and 3.3% for later use. Exempt veterans pay none. Veterans exempt because of a disability rating skip the fee but still owe the state’s stamps. The VA’s funding fee page notes a refund may be possible if a rating is awarded later. No VA rule erases the Florida tax.
What This Means for Your Net Cash
Here is the practical picture. Say you are near the 100% ceiling. You pay off the old loan, finance the funding fee, and add the costs. Every dollar of tax and fee that you finance eats into room under the cap. The result is a smaller check than you may have pictured.
Residual income also still matters. Across the wholesale programs we place VA files with, a cash-out is fully underwritten, and residual income is the controlling test. Financed taxes raise the balance, and a higher balance means a higher payment. So the tax is not just a closing line. It feeds the affordability test.
A cash-out also has to deliver a net tangible benefit, which is one of the VA’s eight listed benefits, and it has the same seasoning rules as other VA refinances. The half-percent rate-reduction and fee-recoupment tests belong to the IRRRL, not the cash-out. The tax does not change your eligibility, but it does change the size of the loan you are testing.
A Quick Decision Path
Before you sign, work through these questions.
1. Does title change in this transaction? If yes, ask for the deed-side tax quote too. 2. Will you finance the funding fee and costs? If yes, expect a larger note and a larger tax. 3. Are you close to 100% of value? If yes, expect a smaller check. 4. Are you exempt from the funding fee? If yes, the state tax still applies. 5. Does the Loan Estimate show the stamps and intangible tax as separate lines? Compare them to your own math using the formula above.
For tax treatment of any of this, tax treatment can depend on your situation; borrowers should speak with a qualified tax professional before relying on any deduction or credit.
Common Myths
“VA loans don’t have doc stamps.” They do. The VA schedule allows recording taxes.
“No deed means no doc stamps.” The new note and mortgage are taxed.
“Miami-Dade’s surtax hits my refinance.” The surtax is a deed item.
“The seller pays.” A refinance has no seller.
“VA sets a 90% cap on cash-outs.” The VA handbook says 100% of reasonable value. Some lenders choose a lower limit on their own, so ask what your lender allows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I owe doc stamps if I only take a small amount of cash out?
Yes. The tax is on the full new loan, not the cash portion. A small cash-out on a large balance still produces stamps on the whole note. The old loan’s stamps do not carry over as a credit.
Does financing the VA funding fee increase my doc stamps?
Slightly. The financed fee becomes part of the note, so the base is larger. The added tax is modest, but it is real. The fee and the tax still count against the 100% ceiling.
Is the Miami-Dade surtax charged on my cash-out refinance?
Generally no. The Clerk lists the surtax as a deed item, and a cash-out refinance records no new deed. If title changes as part of the deal, ask your title agent for the deed-side figures.
Can a disability exemption remove the doc stamps?
No. The exemption covers the VA funding fee. Florida’s tax still applies to the new mortgage, and no VA rule waives it.
Where do I confirm the exact amounts on my loan?
Check your Loan Estimate and, later, your Closing Disclosure, where the stamps, intangible tax and recording fees appear as separate lines. Your title or closing agent can confirm how the tax is collected. The Clerk’s schedule is undated, so verify current amounts before you rely on them.
If you are weighing a cash-out refinance against keeping the loan you have, Lendmire can help you compare the programs and the equity each one reaches. Program details are subject to lender guidelines and full file review, and nothing here is a commitment to lend.
For your own numbers, request a scenario review with Lendmire.
About Lendmire
Lendmire is a mortgage brokerage (NMLS# 2371349) licensed for consumer mortgage lending in 16 states, arranging FHA, VA, conventional and jumbo purchase and refinance loans through a wholesale lending network. Eligibility is determined by the lender on each file. Scotsman Guide named Lendmire a Top Mortgage Workplace in both 2025 and 2026.
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Informational only. Not a Loan Estimate, approval, or commitment to lend. Program availability and eligibility are subject to lender guidelines, credit approval, property review, and underwriting.
References
1. Florida Department of Revenue – Documentary Stamp Tax
3. Miami-Dade Clerk – Official Records
4. VA Lenders Handbook, Chapter 6
6. VA circular on cash-out loans
7. Florida DOR Documentary Stamp Tax Guide (GT-800014)
8. VA.gov Funding fee and closing costs
This article is part of Lendmire’s VA cash-out refinance program — full qualification details, guidelines, and scenarios live on the program page.
Related reading: Does a VA Cash-Out Use Up Your Remaining Entitlement? · How a VA Cash-Out Works for a First-Time VA User · VA Cash-Out Refinance Requirements With the Closing Costs Rolled Into the Loan
Guides: VA Cash-Out Refinance in Miami, FL · VA Cash-Out Refinance in Florida
Brandon Miller
Founder & CEO, Mortgage Loan Originator, Lendmire LLC
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Compliance and disclosures. Lendmire (NMLS# 2371349) is a licensed mortgage broker and is not a direct lender, depository institution, financial advisor, or tax professional. Content in this article is general market analysis and educational information — not financial, legal, or tax advice for any specific situation. Lendmire does not guarantee loan approval; every transaction is subject to underwriting by the funding lender. Mortgage pricing and loan program guidelines are subject to change at any time without notice and vary by borrower characteristics, property type, and state regulations. Lendmire complies with Equal Housing Opportunity. Licensure verification: NMLS Consumer Access.