The Quick Read: Florida taxes the new note and the new recorded mortgage, not a sale. Two state taxes apply, documentary stamp tax and the nonrecurring intangible tax, and together they run about $5.50 per $1,000 of the new loan amount. The base is the whole new loan, not just the cash you take out. Miami-Dade’s extra surtax is a deed charge, so it does not hit a refinance mortgage.
There is no deed and no seller in a cash-out refinance. That changes which taxes show up and what they are charged on. This article walks through the arithmetic, how the VA’s 100% ceiling interacts with it, and where borrowers and some online calculators get it wrong.
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.
What Are Doc Stamps on a VA Cash-Out?
Doc stamps are a state tax on the debt you sign. The Florida Department of Revenue says documentary stamp tax is due on a mortgage, lien, or other evidence of indebtedness filed or recorded in Florida, calculated on the amount secured. The Miami-Dade Clerk lists the same statewide tax on mortgages, based on the amount of the note.
That rate is the same in every Florida county. Miami-Dade does not charge more on a mortgage.
A VA cash-out is a new loan that pays off your old one and puts cash in your hand. Because it is a brand-new note and mortgage, it gets recorded, and the tax follows the recording. It makes no difference whether the old loan was VA, FHA, or conventional.
Key Terms Defined
Documentary stamp tax (doc stamps): A Florida tax on the note and recorded mortgage, charged at 35 cents per $100 of the amount secured.
Nonrecurring intangible tax: A separate one-time Florida tax on a mortgage, charged at 2 mills (0.2%) of the amount secured.
Funding fee: A VA charge, financeable and waived for exempt veterans, that is separate from every state tax.
Reasonable value: The value set by the VA appraisal. It is the ceiling for the whole loan.
Net tangible benefit: A VA test a cash-out must meet. The borrower has to come out ahead in a way VA lists.
Closing Disclosure: The final statement of loan terms and costs, which shows the tax lines before you sign.
The Two Florida Taxes and How They Differ
The second tax is the one people forget. Fla. Stat. 199.133 imposes a one-time nonrecurring tax of 2 mills on each dollar of the just valuation of obligations secured by a mortgage on Florida real property. The Clerk shows it as $2 per $1,000 of the note amount.
| Tax | Rate on the new loan | Rounding |
|---|---|---|
| Doc stamps (note and mortgage) | $3.50 per $1,000 | Up to the next $100 |
| Nonrecurring intangible tax | $2.00 per $1,000 | None, charged on the actual amount |
| Combined | About $5.50 per $1,000 | Mixed |
Roughly 0.55% of the new loan, then. It scales with the whole loan balance, so a larger payoff plus a larger cash-out means a larger bill. Both taxes are set by statute, unlike lender charges, which is useful when you read a Loan Estimate.
The Department of Revenue says the lender is the taxpayer liable for the intangible tax but may pass it to the borrower, and that it is paid when the mortgage is recorded. Doc stamps are normally collected the same way, at recording.
Does Miami-Dade’s Surtax Apply to a Refinance?
No. The Clerk lists a Miami-Dade surtax of 45 cents per $100 under County Code 29-7(D), but it sits under the Deed heading. The Clerk describes it as applying to transfers of interest in real property other than a single-family residence. The Clerk lists no surtax under the Mortgage heading.
A refinance does not transfer title, so no deed tax comes into it. Some third-party calculators blur deed and note taxes, and a sale-side estimate can overstate a refinance bill. If a deed is recorded alongside your loan, for example to add or remove a spouse, that is a separate question for the title agent.
How the Loan Is Built, Step by Step
On the VA cash-out files placed across the wholesale programs Lendmire works with, the tax lines are the easy part. The ceiling is the hard part. Here is the sequence.
1. Eligibility and occupancy. You need a certificate of eligibility from VA, full credit and income underwriting, and a VA appraisal. You occupy the home. Across the wholesale programs Lendmire places VA files with, the decision-score floor starts at 580, and residual income is the controlling underwriting test. The 41% debt-to-income figure is a guideline, not a cap.
2. The appraisal sets reasonable value. Everything else sits under that number. The VA Lenders Handbook, Chapter 6 says the maximum loan may not exceed 100 percent of the reasonable value, and that the funding fee must not push the loan over 100 percent.
3. Net tangible benefit. The same chapter says all cash-out refinancing loans must meet a net tangible benefit requirement. One of VA’s listed benefits is a new loan-to-value of 90 percent or less. The half-percent rate-reduction and fee-recoupment tests belong to the IRRRL and do not apply to the VA cash-out.
4. Build the closing figures. The total includes the payoff of the old lien, the funding fee (or an exemption), Florida doc stamps, the intangible tax, and the title, recording, appraisal, and credit costs VA allows.
5. Recording. The Clerk requires an original, signed, and notarized mortgage, with a copy of the note attached or the note amount written on the face of the mortgage.
6. Closing Disclosure review. Check the doc stamp and intangible tax lines against your own arithmetic before you sign.
Who Pays, and Can VA Borrowers Pay Recording Taxes?
Yes. VA lets the veteran pay them. Under 38 CFR 36.4313(d)(1), the veteran may pay reasonable and customary amounts for recording fees and recording taxes or other charges incident to recordation. Paragraph (a) of the same section says no charge may be made against the borrower other than those expressly permitted.
So the taxes are an allowable charge, not a loophole and not a prohibited fee. They show up on the Closing Disclosure like any other allowable cost.
Rolling the Taxes Into the Loan
You may be able to finance them. The answer turns on the 100% cap. VA Circular 26-19-05 defines loan-to-value as the total loan amount, including the funding fee, divided by the reasonable value from the appraiser. VA will not guaranty a refinance when that figure exceeds 100 percent. The funding fee must fit inside the cap, and any part that would exceed it must be paid in cash.
Through the wholesale programs Lendmire works with, the VA cash-out reaches 100% of the appraised value, financed fee included. The funding fee is 2.15% on first use and 3.3% after, and it is waived for veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability and the other exempt groups. An exemption removes the fee. It does not remove the state taxes.
Think of the cap as a bucket. The payoff, the funding fee, the taxes, and the allowable costs all pour into it. Whatever room is left is your cash. Any tax or fee you finance reduces your net proceeds. Lenders can also set a lower cap than VA does, so ask the loan officer where the file’s ceiling sits.
If the appraisal comes in low, the ceiling drops with it. A cash-out that looked workable can shrink. Plan for that before you count on a number.
Type I and Type II Cash-Outs
Circular 26-19-05 defines two types. A Type I loan is one where the new loan, funding fee included, does not exceed the payoff of the loan being refinanced. A Type II loan exceeds the payoff. A cash-out that puts money in your pocket is, by definition, a Type II. Type I loans that refinance a VA loan carry seasoning rules. The Handbook chapter holds the exact figures. Do not rely on third-party summaries for them.
Either way, the Florida taxes follow the size of the new note.
Where the General Rule Breaks
Five edge cases come up on real files.
- The $2,450 cap does not shield a mortgage. The Department of Revenue guide states that cap for notes and other written obligations. It does not limit the tax on a recorded mortgage. Do not assume the cap protects a large cash-out loan.
- Credit for existing debt is the title agent’s call. Some professionals say the nonrecurring intangible tax may apply only to the increase when a new mortgage refinances part of an old one. Nothing the Department of Revenue pages show confirms a general credit. Ask your title agent whether any credit applies, and do not budget on one.
- The intangible tax follows Florida real property. It applies to the extent the obligation is secured by Florida real property. If the mortgage is not recorded, payment goes directly to the Department of Revenue, and the timing and process depend on the file, so confirm the details with your title agent.
- Unrecorded or delayed filings carry exposure. An unpaid tax at recording is a title problem, not a minor clerical one. Have the agent confirm the tax is collected with the recording package.
- Other loan types pay the same Florida taxes. Conventional and FHA cash-outs pay them too. They follow the new recorded note. The IRRRL has no cash-out and a different fee structure, but the Florida taxes still follow the new note.
A Planning Method That Works Backward
Start from the cash you need, not the loan you hope for. This is a framework, not a quote.
1. Take the payoff on your current loan. 2. Add the cash you want. 3. Add the funding fee, unless you are exempt. 4. Add roughly 0.55% of the new loan for the two Florida taxes. Doc stamps round up to the next $100. The intangible tax does not round. 5. Add the title, recording, appraisal, and credit costs VA allows. 6. Compare the total to 100% of reasonable value, or to a lower lender cap.
If the total fits, the cash is real. If it exceeds the ceiling, either the cash shrinks or you cover part in cash at closing.
A small worked example without dollar figures. Say a loan is large enough to land in a round hundred plus a fraction. Doc stamps are charged on the full hundred, so a loan a few dollars over a hundred boundary pays for the next hundred.
Common Mistakes
- Applying the Miami-Dade deed surtax to a refinance mortgage.
- Treating doc stamps and the intangible tax as one tax. They have separate statutes, rates, and rounding.
- Taxing only the cash taken out. The base is the new loan amount.
- Assuming VA lets you borrow 100% regardless. That is the outer limit. The appraisal sets the value, and a lender may set a lower cap.
- Waiting for the Closing Disclosure to see the tax lines. Ask for a Loan Estimate early and check the arithmetic then.
Tax treatment can depend on your situation. Borrowers should speak with a qualified tax professional before relying on any deduction or credit.
What to Ask Before You Commit
Ask whether the Loan Estimate lists doc stamps and intangible tax as separate lines. Ask whether the closing costs can come out of the cash proceeds under the loan structure. Ask what the lender’s cap is. And ask your title agent about any credit on existing debt. Lendmire’s VA cash-out refinance program page lays out how the program reaches equity.
A VA cash-out can reach 100% of the appraised value, including the financed VA funding fee, so the ceiling is the number to confirm. Every figure here is subject to lender guidelines and full file review, and nothing here is a commitment to lend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I owe Florida doc stamps on a VA cash-out refinance?
Yes. The tax attaches to the new note and recorded mortgage. It is 35 cents per $100 of the amount secured, rounded up to the next $100. The base is the whole new loan, not only the cash you take out.
Is the Miami-Dade surtax charged on my refinance?
No. The Clerk lists the surtax under the Deed heading, and a refinance has no deed. The county lists no surtax under the Mortgage heading. If a deed is recorded in the same transaction, ask the title agent how that deed is taxed.
What is the intangible tax, and is it the same as doc stamps?
No. It is a separate one-time tax of 2 mills on the secured amount, which is $2 per $1,000. It has its own statute and does not round. Doc stamps run $3.50 per $1,000 and round up to the next $100. Together they come to about $5.50 per $1,000.
Can I roll these taxes into the loan?
Often, within limits. The total loan, funding fee included, cannot exceed 100% of the appraised value, and a lender may set a lower cap. Whatever you finance reduces your cash. Part of the funding fee that would exceed the cap has to be paid in cash.
Does a funding fee exemption remove the state taxes?
No. An exemption removes the VA funding fee only. Doc stamps and the intangible tax still apply to the new recorded note and mortgage.
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. Florida Department of Revenue, Documentary Stamp Tax (GT-800014)
2. Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts, Official Records
3. Florida Statutes, Chapter 199
4. Florida Department of Revenue, Nonrecurring Intangible Tax
5. VA Lenders Handbook (VAP 26-7), Chapter 6, Refinancing Loans
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: How a Co-Borrower Buyout Works on a VA Cash-Out Refinance · How a VA Cash-Out Handles Occupancy and Title in an Ex Buyout · Can You Remove a Co-Borrower With a VA Cash-Out Refinance?
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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Important disclosures. Lendmire (NMLS# 2371349) is a licensed mortgage brokerage. Lendmire is not a direct lender, depository institution, or financial advisor. All loan inquiries are subject to lender underwriting; this article does not constitute a commitment to lend. Rates, terms, and program guidelines are subject to change without notice and vary by borrower profile, property type, and state. Information in this article is general in nature and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS Consumer Access: nmlsconsumeraccess.org.