St Maarten Property Tax: What Owners Pay Each Year (2026)
St Maarten property tax on the Dutch side is simple: there is no annual property tax. You pay a one-time transfer tax of about 4 percent at closing, plus a notary fee of roughly 1 to 1.5 percent, so total closing costs run about 4 to 6 percent and are paid by the buyer. The seller usually pays the agent commission. Confirm the exact figures for your own purchase with your notary.
- The Dutch side of St Maarten charges $0 in annual property tax on residential real estate.
- Buyers pay about 4 to 6 percent in one-time closing costs: roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus 1 to 1.5 percent notary fee.
- A civil-law notary is mandatory and handles the title search, deed, escrow, and registration, which is why US-style title insurance is not the norm here.
- Saint-Martin, the French side, generally costs more, often 7 to 8 percent to buy, and does charge annual property taxes.
Do you pay annual property tax in St Maarten?
On the Dutch side of St Maarten there is no annual property tax. You will not get a yearly bill tied to your home’s assessed value the way you do in the US or Canada. The charge that surprises buyers is a one-time transfer tax paid at closing, not a recurring cost you carry every year. Confirm your own position with your notary or tax advisor, because your circumstances may bring other obligations, but the recurring real estate tax line that dominates a North American budget is not part of the picture here.
I live on the Dutch side and I walk buyers through this regularly, so it is the first thing I explain to people coming from North America: the holding cost is low. Once the deed is registered, the government does not send you a recurring property tax invoice. That changes the math on a second home, because your fixed yearly outlay is mostly insurance, utilities, and any association fees rather than tax.
It also changes what you should be diligent about. When there is no annual tax bill to plan around, the numbers that decide whether a property is a good hold are the ones nobody puts in the listing: the insurance premium, the condition of the roof and the windows, the building’s reserve fund, and how the association handles repairs. Those are the questions I push buyers to ask before they fall in love with a view.
This is one reason the Dutch side attracts foreign buyers. There is no restriction on foreign ownership, you hold the property freehold, and the yearly tax drag that eats into returns in many markets is not there. For the specifics of the purchase itself, see my walkthrough of buying property in St Maarten.
What are the closing costs and transfer tax when you buy?
When you buy on the Dutch side, budget about 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price in closing costs, all paid by the buyer. That is roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus about 1 to 1.5 percent for the civil-law notary. There is no annual property tax to add on top of it. Your notary will produce the exact figures for your transaction, so confirm them there before you set your budget.
Here is how the money breaks down on a typical Dutch-side purchase. The seller usually covers the real estate commission, so as a buyer your out-of-pocket at closing is the tax and the notary.
| Cost | Who pays | Typical amount |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax | Buyer | About 4% of price |
| Notary fee | Buyer | About 1 to 1.5% |
| Real estate commission | Seller | Usually seller paid |
| Annual property tax | No one | $0 on the Dutch side |
Prices here are quoted and paid in US dollars in daily life, even though the official currency is the Antillean guilder, so North American buyers can size these numbers up quickly. Financing exists for qualified foreign buyers who bring a down payment, and if you go that route the lender adds its own conditions and paperwork on top of the notary file. Ask early what the bank will want to see, because that is usually what sets the pace of a deal rather than the tax itself.
One more thing worth planning for: the transfer tax and the notary fee are both calculated on the purchase price, so they scale with what you buy. On a stretch purchase that percentage is real money, and it is due at closing rather than spread over time. I would rather a buyer hold a little back for it than be short in the final week. For how these one-time costs sit next to your ongoing bills, I lay them out in my cost of living in St Maarten guide.
What does the civil-law notary actually do?
A civil-law notary is mandatory on every Dutch-side sale, and this is why US-style title insurance is not the norm here. The notary runs the title search, drafts the deed, holds your funds in escrow, and registers the transfer. The notary is not working the deal for one side the way a US attorney would, and your notary can explain exactly what that role covers in your case.
For buyers used to the US system, this takes a minute to get comfortable with, and once I understood it I found it reassuring. Instead of paying a separate title insurance premium to protect against a defective chain of ownership, you pay the notary, and the notary is the one who runs the title search and registers the deed. Ask your notary directly what that check covers and what it does not, because that answer, not a summary from me, is the one you should rely on.
The notary fee of about 1 to 1.5 percent covers that whole function, and your notary can confirm exactly what is included before you sign. If a property has an unusual history, an inheritance sitting in the chain, an addition that was never registered, a boundary that does not match the survey, this is the stage where those things tend to surface. Slow here is better than fast.
Do not treat the notary as a formality to rush at the end. I tell clients to get the draft deed and the settlement statement early, read the transfer tax line and the notary fee line, and ask questions before signing. Once the deed is registered, it is done.
How does St Maarten property tax compare to Saint-Martin?
St Maarten property tax and total cost of ownership are generally lower on the Dutch side than on the French side, Saint-Martin. Dutch-side closing runs about 4 to 6 percent with no annual property tax. The French side generally runs higher to buy, often 7 to 8 percent in transaction costs, and it carries annual property taxes that the Dutch side does not. Confirm the current French figures with a notary on that side before you rely on them.
For buyers who care most about holding costs, this difference matters, though your own position is worth checking with a tax advisor. Same island, no border checkpoint, you drive between the two sides freely, but two different tax systems sit on top of the same 87 square kilometres. The Dutch side is about 34 square kilometres, the French side about 53, and the line between them is quiet enough that most people cross it without noticing.
| Item | St Maarten (Dutch) | Saint-Martin (French) |
|---|---|---|
| Closing / transaction costs | About 4 to 6% | Often about 7 to 8% |
| Annual property tax | None | Yes, annual taxes apply |
| Everyday currency | US dollar | Euro |
| Foreign ownership | Freehold, no restriction | Confirm current rules with a French-side notary |
Same island, same beaches, two tax systems. The Dutch side is where the low-holding-cost math lives.Wei Landgraf, Dutch-side resident agent
What the higher French cost buys is a different texture of life: Grand Case as a dining village, Marigot as the French capital, clothing-optional beaches, an easy day out to Anguilla or over to Creole Rock and Tintamarre. Plenty of buyers decide that is worth paying for, and I am not going to pretend the tax argument settles a lifestyle question. If you are weighing the two, I break the differences down further in my St Maarten vs St Martin comparison.
Where does the Sint Maarten tax office fit in?
The Sint Maarten tax office is where you deal with the taxes that do apply here, rather than an annual property tax bill, and which ones apply to you depends on your situation. On the Dutch side there is no recurring real estate tax to settle each year, but you should still confirm your own position with a professional before you plan around that.
I am an agent, not a tax or legal authority, so I am careful here. If you plan to rent your place out, earn income on the island, or hold the property through a company, how that is treated is a question for a professional. Verify anything about your tax position with your notary or your tax advisor, and check the current rule with them before you rely on it. Rules change, and a blog post is not the thing to bet a purchase on.
What I can tell you is what owners actually end up paying month to month. Your real recurring costs are usually utilities, insurance that reflects the island’s location inside the hurricane belt, and any homeowner association or building fees on condos in areas like Simpson Bay, Cupecoy, or Maho. Electricity and water are the line items that catch people out, and association fees vary widely depending on whether the building carries a pool, a generator, and a properly funded reserve.
Those are the numbers I help buyers model, and they matter more to a yearly budget than property tax does, because property tax on the Dutch side is zero. Ask for the last two years of association statements, ask what the insurance actually renewed at rather than what it was quoted at, and ask what has been deferred. If a move is on the table, my guide to moving to SXM covers the setup steps.
Is St Maarten property tax low enough to make buying worth it?
For buyers who weight holding cost heavily, the St Maarten property tax picture is one of the strongest arguments for the Dutch side. Zero annual property tax, freehold ownership open to foreigners, closing costs of about 4 to 6 percent, and daily life in US dollars make the yearly carrying cost predictable and low compared with many North American and European markets. Whether that is enough for you is a personal call, and a tax advisor should confirm how it lands on your own return.
The honest trade-off is not tax, it is location risk and running costs. The island sits inside the hurricane belt, and Hurricane Irma in September 2017 was a real event, though construction standards improved afterward. Insurance reflects that. So the money you save by not paying annual property tax is partly spent keeping the property properly insured and properly maintained. I would rather you know that going in than be surprised by a renewal notice. Buyers who want to sit outside the belt entirely tend to end up looking at Aruba instead, and that is a fair comparison to run.
Access is the other half of the argument. Princess Juliana on the Dutch side is a major regional hub with direct flights from the US and Europe, which is what keeps a second home usable instead of turning it into a place you visit once a year. Visitors from the US, Canada, the UK, and the EU arrive on a valid passport with no visa for stays of up to 90 days, and anything longer needs a residence permit, so check the current rule with immigration before you build a plan around it.
Weighed together, a low-tax freehold market with a serious airport is a strong position for a second home or a long-term hold. Tell me what you are trying to do with the property and I will give you a realistic picture of the yearly cost for that specific building. When you are ready to look at listings and numbers side by side, start with my overview of St Maarten real estate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does St Maarten have property tax?
The Dutch side of St Maarten has no annual property tax on residential real estate. You pay a one-time transfer tax of about 4 percent when you buy, but no recurring yearly bill on the property’s value. Saint-Martin, the French side, does charge annual property taxes, so confirm the current French figures with a notary on that side.
How much are closing costs when buying property in St Maarten?
Budget about 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price, all paid by the buyer on the Dutch side. That is roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus about 1 to 1.5 percent notary fee. The seller usually pays the real estate commission. Your notary will confirm the exact figures for your transaction before closing.
Who pays the transfer tax in St Maarten?
The buyer pays the transfer tax on the Dutch side, at about 4 percent of the purchase price, and it is settled at closing through the notary. The buyer also covers the notary fee. The seller typically pays the agent commission. Ask your notary to confirm how it is handled in your specific deal.
Do foreigners pay more property tax in St Maarten?
No. The Dutch side places no restriction on foreign ownership and no annual property tax on anyone, local or foreign. Foreign buyers hold property freehold and pay the same one-time transfer tax and notary fee. Confirm your personal income tax position with a tax advisor before you buy.
What is the Sint Maarten tax office responsible for?
The Sint Maarten tax office handles the taxes that do apply on the island. An annual property tax is not one of them, because the Dutch side does not levy one. If you plan to rent out or earn income here, verify how it is taxed with your notary or tax advisor.
Is it cheaper to own property on the Dutch or French side?
For most buyers the Dutch side is cheaper to own. It has no annual property tax and closing costs around 4 to 6 percent. Saint-Martin, the French side, often runs 7 to 8 percent to buy plus annual taxes. Same island, no border checkpoint, but two different tax systems, so verify current French figures with a notary there.
