The Quick Read: Two flat Florida charges apply to the new mortgage. Together they come to roughly 0.55% of the new loan amount. Miami-Dade’s extra deed surtax does not apply, because a cash-out refinance records a mortgage and no deed. VA rules let the veteran pay these charges, and on a cash-out they can come out of the loan proceeds.
Key Takeaways
- The doc stamp tax runs $0.35 per $100 of the new note, rounded up. The one-time intangible tax is 0.20% of the note.
- Miami-Dade’s county deed charges attach to deeds. A plain refinance has none.
- These are government charges. They should match from lender to lender on the same loan amount.
- A bigger cash-out means a bigger note, which means a bigger tax bill.
- A VA cash-out can reach 100% of the appraised value, including the financed funding fee. That ceiling decides how much room is left for everything else.
Key Terms Defined
Doc stamps (documentary stamp tax): A Florida tax on written debts and deeds. On a mortgage, it is charged per $100 of the amount secured.
Intangible tax: A one-time Florida tax on a note secured by real property. It is figured on the exact loan amount with no rounding.
Surtax: An extra county tax. Miami-Dade’s version is charged on deeds, not on mortgages.
Funding fee: A VA charge that can be financed into the loan. It is waived for veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability and for other exempt groups.
Net tangible benefit: A test showing the refinance helps the borrower in a way VA recognizes. VA lists eight of them.
Certificate of Eligibility (COE): The document from VA that confirms you can use the benefit.
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.
Why Miami-Dade’s Famous Surtax Skips Your Refinance
Miami-Dade’s extra charge sits on deeds. It does not sit on mortgages. If you refinance and keep the same owner on title, no deed is recorded and the county’s deed-side charges never come into play.
Here is where the confusion starts. Search for “Miami-Dade doc stamps” and nearly every result talks about buying a home. Those pages are right about purchases, where the county’s deed rate is higher than the rest of Florida’s. They just aren’t about your loan.
The Miami-Dade Clerk’s official records page lists three rates: deed stamps at $0.60 per $100, a surtax on transfers other than a single-family residence, and mortgage stamps at $0.35 per $100 of the note. That third number is the Florida standard. Miami-Dade charges the same mortgage rate as the other counties.
The surtax has its own carve-out. Per Miami-Dade County’s surtax program page, it applies to documents that transfer an interest in Florida real property, and transfers of single-family residences are exempt. Condos and detached homes both count as single-family residences for that exemption. It only matters if a deed gets recorded alongside your loan.
So the question in the title has a narrow answer. The county adds nothing to your mortgage-side bill. The state charges apply, and they are the same in Miami-Dade as anywhere else in Florida.
How the Two Florida Taxes Are Figured
Both taxes are charged on the amount the recorded mortgage secures. Florida’s Department of Revenue sets the doc stamp rate at $0.35 per $100, or portion thereof, per its documentary stamp tax guide. “Or portion thereof” means any partial hundred is charged as a full one. The one-time intangible tax is 2 mills on each dollar, which is 0.20%, with no rounding.
| Charge | Trigger | Applies to a VA cash-out? | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage doc stamps | New mortgage | Yes | New note, per $100 rounded up |
| Intangible tax | New mortgage | Yes | Exact note amount |
| Deed stamps | Deed recorded | Only if a deed is recorded | Deed consideration |
| Miami-Dade surtax | Deed recorded | Not on a refinance | Deed, non-single-family |
Add the two mortgage-side charges and you get about 0.55% of the new loan amount. A loan of 1,000 hundred-dollar units would carry 1,000 times $0.35 in stamps, plus 0.20% in intangible tax. You can scale that to your own number once the lender gives you a loan amount.
The formula in words: new note divided by 100, rounded up, times $0.35. Then new note times 0.002. Add the two. The closing agent runs this on your file, and the clerk collects it when the mortgage is recorded.
Because the base is the whole new note, a cash-out costs more here than a refinance that only pays off the old balance. You are taxed on the size of the new loan, not just the cash you pull out. That is the first lever you control.
How a VA Cash-Out Gets Built, Step by Step
A VA cash-out moves through six checkpoints, and the doc stamp bill is set at the last one. Everything before it decides how big the new note is.
1. Eligibility. Your COE comes from VA, and service requirements are VA’s rules. You apply through a private lender, not through VA itself.
2. Occupancy. The home must be one you live in. Rentals and investment properties do not qualify for this program.
3. Appraisal. The appraised value sets the ceiling. Across the wholesale programs Lendmire places VA files with, a cash-out reaches up to 100% of the appraised value, financed fee included.
4. Underwriting. Residual income is the controlling test. That is the money left each month after taxes, debts and living costs. The 41% debt-to-income figure is a guideline, not a cap, but a higher ratio needs residual income well above the table. Credit decisions depend on the lender, and the wholesale programs here start at a 580 decision score.
5. Net tangible benefit and seasoning. Every VA cash-out has to pass the net tangible benefit test, and seasoning applies when you refinance an existing VA loan. VA’s Exhibit A to Circular 26-19-05 lists the benefits. One of them is a new loan at or under 90% of reasonable value. That 90% is one way to pass the test, not a VA ceiling. The rate-reduction and fee-recoupment tests belong to the IRRRL, not the cash-out.
6. Closing. The closing agent computes the two Florida taxes on the new mortgage. The clerk collects them at recording.
Lendmire’s VA cash-out refinance program page walks through the full set of program features.
The funding fee also affects the base. It is 2.15% on a first-use cash-out and 3.3% on later use, and it can be financed. A financed fee raises the note, so it raises the Florida taxes slightly too. Run a first-use cash-out and the fee plus the two taxes come to roughly 2.7% of the base loan amount, before other closing costs. On later use, the fee plus the taxes come to about 3.85%. Exempt veterans skip the fee, but not the Florida taxes.
Does VA Change the Doc Stamp Bill?
VA does not set or waive these taxes. It only governs who may be charged and how the charge gets paid. The tax itself belongs to Florida.
On who pays: VA’s Lenders Handbook, Chapter 8 says the veteran can pay recording fees and recording taxes or other charges incident to recordation. Doc stamps and the intangible tax fall in that bucket. Nothing in the program shifts them to the seller or bars you from paying them.
On how they get paid: for cash-out loans, the handbook says allowable fees and charges may be paid from the cash proceeds of the loan. That is the usual route. The taxes reduce the check you receive instead of requiring cash at the table.
One point needs care. For all VA loans, the loan amount may include the funding fee, and the handbook says only refinancing loans may include other allowable fees in the loan amount. Whether your lender rolls the taxes into the balance or takes them from proceeds is a file-level decision. Ask early, and ask the lender to show you both versions.
(Some borrowers hear “VA loan” and assume closing costs vanish. They don’t. The funding fee and normal charges still exist.)
Three Ways the Money Moves
The same taxes can reach your closing table three ways. Picture a homeowner with plenty of equity and a first-use cash-out.
Paid from proceeds. The taxes come out of the cash you receive. The note stays at its base size, and your check is lighter by the amount of the taxes.
Paid in cash at closing. You bring the money. The note stays at its base size, and your proceeds stay whole. This works when you want a precise amount of cash out.
Added to the balance, where the lender allows it. The note grows, the taxes grow with it, and your monthly obligation rises a bit. This only works if the 100% ceiling leaves room.
Now picture a homeowner near the ceiling. The financed fee already fills most of the remaining room. Little space is left, so that borrower may bring cash or take less out. Taking less out can also keep the loan inside the 90% net tangible benefit test, which some borrowers want for that reason alone.
Compare quotes on the lender-controlled charges. The state taxes should look the same on every Loan Estimate for the same loan amount. If two quotes show different stamp numbers, either the loan amounts differ or something is off. Ask the closing agent to point to each Florida line on both the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure.
Where the General Rule Breaks
The 0.55% rule of thumb holds for a typical new-lender cash-out. These cases move the number or the question.
A deed enters the closing. Adding or removing a spouse, or moving title to a trust or LLC, records a deed. Then deed-side charges become a separate question. Send that one to the title agent before you set your cash-out target.
Renewal or modification structures. A Florida Department of Revenue advisement, Technical Advisement 02M-007, addresses tax on renewal notes and mortgages. When a mortgage secures a renewal note and no new money is added, no additional nonrecurring tax is due. Do not assume a cash-out with a new lender gets that credit. By definition, a cash-out adds new money. The closing agent decides.
Maximum-lien mortgages. If a mortgage limits what the lender can recover to less than the note’s face amount, doc stamps are paid on the maximum lien. This is a structuring question, not a typical VA file.
Unsecured note caps. Florida caps the doc stamp tax on unsecured notes. A recorded mortgage is different, and that cap does not shield a refinance.
Non-VA loan into VA. The VA cash-out can refinance any loan type into a VA loan. Seasoning applies to VA-to-VA refinances. The Florida taxes apply the same way.
IRRRL versus cash-out. The IRRRL is VA’s streamlined refinance of an existing VA loan, with a 0.5% fee unless exempt. It has different fee and cash rules. Don’t mix the two products when you compare costs.
Lender overlays. A lender can set a tighter cash-out cap than VA does. That leaves less equity to absorb taxes and fees.
Myths Worth Dropping
“Miami-Dade adds extra doc stamps to my refinance.” The surtax is a deed charge. Your refinance records a mortgage.
“Doc stamps are a lender fee.” They are state taxes. The Department of Revenue sets the rate, and the clerk collects it.
“VA bans veterans from paying recording taxes.” The handbook says the veteran can pay them. The prohibited list covers lender-side charges.
“The cap on doc stamps protects my refinance.” That cap is for unsecured notes.
“VA cash-out stops at 90%.” Ninety percent is one net tangible benefit test. The VA cash-out can reach 100% of the appraised value, though a given lender may set a lower overlay.
“All closing costs can be financed on a cash-out.” The funding fee can be financed. Other charges come from proceeds or from your pocket, unless the lender and VA rules permit rolling them in.
What Your Decision Looks Like
Start with the cash you need, not the cash you can reach. A bigger number means a bigger note, a bigger fee and bigger taxes. Each added slice of loan carries about 0.55% in Florida charges, plus the funding fee if you are not exempt.
Then decide how you want the charges paid. Proceeds, cash and a larger balance each change a different part of the file. Ask for each version on paper.
Last, confirm anything touching title. If a deed is part of the plan, settle that before you commit to a loan size. Tax treatment can depend on your situation; borrowers should speak with a qualified tax professional before relying on any deduction or credit.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do VA loans get a break on Florida doc stamps?
No. The funding fee can be waived for exempt veterans, but the doc stamp and intangible taxes are state charges and apply to the recorded mortgage regardless of the loan program. VA only governs who may be charged and how the cost is paid.
Does a Miami-Dade refinance owe the county’s deed stamps or surtax?
Not on a plain refinance. Those charges attach to documents that transfer an interest in real property, and a refinance records a new mortgage. If you add or remove someone from title during the same closing, a deed is recorded and that part needs separate review by the title agent.
Are doc stamps charged on the whole loan or just the cash I take out?
Usually on the full new note, since the tax is imposed on the amount the recorded mortgage secures. Some renewal or modification structures can earn a credit when no new money is added, but a cash-out adds new money. Your closing agent determines the base on your file.
Can the taxes come out of my cash-out proceeds?
Yes, generally. VA’s handbook says allowable fees and charges on a cash-out may be paid from the loan’s cash proceeds. Whether a lender also lets you add them to the loan balance depends on the lender and the 100% ceiling.
Will the doc stamp amount differ between lenders?
It should not for the same mortgage amount, since these are government charges. If two Loan Estimates show different tax figures, compare the loan amounts first. The real differences between quotes sit in the lender-controlled charges.
For your own numbers, request a scenario review with Lendmire.
About Lendmire
Lendmire (NMLS# 2371349) is a mortgage broker licensed for consumer lending in 16 states. Lendmire arranges FHA, VA, conventional and jumbo purchase and refinance loans through wholesale lenders; every file is underwritten by the lender under the applicable program guidelines. 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. Miami-Dade Clerk, Official Records
2. Miami-Dade County, Documentary Surtax Program
3. Florida Department of Revenue, Documentary Stamp Tax guide
4. Exhibit A to Circular 26-19-05
5. VA Lenders Handbook, Chapter 8
6. Florida Department of Revenue, Technical Advisement 02M-007
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: VA Cash-Out vs Jumbo Cash-Out to Buy Out an Ex Who Is on Title · How to Plan for Miami-Dade Fees on a VA Cash-Out Closing · Rolling Closing Costs Into a VA Cash-Out vs Paying Them Upfront
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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Disclosure information. Lendmire is a state-licensed mortgage brokerage under NMLS# 2371349. Lendmire is not a depository institution, direct lender, or financial advisor — all loans referenced are placed through wholesale lender partners and are subject to each lender's underwriting standards. This article is provided for general informational purposes and is not a commitment to lend, nor does it constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. Loan programs, terms, rates, and qualification standards change without notice and depend on borrower profile, property type, and the state in which the subject property is located. Equal Housing Opportunity provider. NMLS Consumer Access: nmlsconsumeraccess.org.