Every Singapore property purchase triggers at least one stamp duty — and for investors, PRs, or foreigners buying a second home, the combined tax can exceed the down payment. This guide unpacks Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD), Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD), and Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) in plain terms: exact rate tables (as of 2026-05), the remission rules that can legally reduce your bill, and the structural strategies — decoupling, timing, entity vs personal ownership — that sophisticated buyers use to plan ahead.
Singapore's stamp duty framework has three distinct layers, each serving a different policy objective:
- BSD — a baseline revenue tax on every property acquisition, regardless of buyer nationality or ownership count. Progressive tiers introduced in February 2023 pushed the top marginal rate to 6% for residential properties above S$3 million.
- ABSD — a demand-cooling surcharge layered on top of BSD for second-and-subsequent purchases (citizens), first purchases (PRs and foreigners), and all entity purchases. Rates were sharply raised in April 2023, with the foreign-buyer rate doubling to 60%.
- SSD — an anti-flipping tax applied when a residential property is sold within a holding-period window. The July 2025 MAS policy announcement extended the holding period from three to four years and raised rates by four percentage points across each tier, effective for properties purchased on or after 4 July 2025.
Understanding which layer applies — and how remissions interact with each — is the starting point for any accurate total-cost calculation. Use our Stamp Duty Calculator and Total Cost of Ownership Calculator to model your specific scenario after reading the rates below.
Buyer Stamp Duty (BSD) Rates
On a S$2,000,000 condo, the final S$500,000 of the price is taxed a full percentage point higher than the S$500,000 before it — Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) is not a flat rate. It is six stacked brackets applied to the higher of purchase price or valuation, and confusing the top bracket rate with the average rate paid is the single most common stamp duty miscalculation among first-time buyers.
BSD applies to every buyer regardless of residency or entity status (as of 2026-07, effective 15 Feb 2023) — Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, foreigner, or company all pay the identical BSD schedule below. What differs by buyer profile is Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty, covered next.
| Portion of price/value | Rate |
|---|---|
| First S$180,000 | 1% |
| Next S$180,000 (to S$360,000) | 2% |
| Next S$640,000 (to S$1,000,000) | 3% |
| Next S$500,000 (to S$1,500,000) | 4% |
| Next S$1,500,000 (to S$3,000,000) | 5% |
| Above S$3,000,000 | 6% |
Three quick reference points worth memorising (as of 2026-07): a S$1,000,000 property attracts S$24,600 BSD, a S$1,500,000 property S$44,600, and a S$2,000,000 property S$69,600. For any other price point, run the numbers through the BSD and ABSD stamp duty calculator rather than estimating from the bracket table by hand — it is easy to apply one bracket's rate to the whole price instead of just that slice. Full legislative detail sits on IRAS's Buyer's Stamp Duty page.
Additional Buyer Stamp Duty (ABSD)
Two buyers can pay identical prices for the identical unit and land S$900,000 apart in tax: on a S$1,500,000 condo, a Singapore Citizen buying a first home owes zero ABSD, while a foreigner buyer owes 60% — S$900,000 (as of 2026-07, effective 27 Apr 2023) — before a single dollar of BSD is added.
| Profile | 1st property | 2nd | 3rd and beyond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| Permanent Resident | 5% | 30% | 35% |
| Foreigner | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| Entity / company | 65% | 65% | 65% |
ABSD stacks on top of BSD, not in place of it, and both are computed on the higher of price or valuation. The count of existing residential properties is checked on the date the Option to Purchase is exercised — not the date it was signed, and not the completion date.
If your ownership situation changes between signing the OTP and exercising it — a spouse inherits a share of a property, or a prior sale completes — your ABSD profile can shift before you realise it. Confirm your exact property count and residency status as at the exercise date with your conveyancing lawyer before committing cash.
Full rate schedule and profile definitions are published on IRAS's Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty page.
Seller Stamp Duty (SSD)
Two sellers can list an identical unit on the identical day and owe completely different Seller's Stamp Duty — the deciding factor is which side of 4 July 2025 their original purchase fell on.
| Holding period at sale | Current regime (bought on/after 4 Jul 2025) | Prior regime (bought before 4 Jul 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1 year | 16% | 12% |
| 1–2 years | 12% | 8% |
| 2–3 years | 8% | 4% |
| 3–4 years | 4% | 0% |
| More than 4 years | 0% | 0% |
The current regime (effective 04 Jul 2025) extended the holding period from three years to four and added four percentage points to every tier. SSD is calculated on the higher of price or valuation and is payable by the seller (as of 2026-07). Which schedule applies depends on when you purchased, not when you sell — check your original Option to Purchase exercise date before assuming a rate. For a full breakdown of what changed and why, see the 2025 SSD extension explained. Confirm your purchase-date regime first, then run the exact figure through the Seller's Stamp Duty calculator — a tool built for one regime will misstate the other.
Official rate tables and definitions: IRAS's Seller's Stamp Duty guidance.
ABSD Remission for Married Couples
A married couple can legally cut the ABSD on a replacement home to zero even though, on paper, buying a second property before selling the first would normally trigger the 2nd-property tier — 20% for an SC couple, 30% for PR (as of 2026-07). The mechanism is remission, not exemption, and IRAS checks the underlying conditions, not just the marriage certificate.
How it works. Where a married couple comprising at least one Singapore Citizen jointly buys a residential property and jointly owned exactly one other residential property beforehand, they can apply to IRAS for remission of the ABSD that would otherwise apply — effectively treating the new purchase as a like-for-like replacement of the matrimonial home rather than a second property. The remission is conditional on disposing of the original property within the timeframe IRAS sets, and the ownership shares on both properties matter as much as the marriage itself.
What to check before relying on it. Remission is not automatic — you file for it, and if the disposal condition is later missed, IRAS can claw back the full ABSD plus interest. Because the exact qualifying timeframes and edge cases (unequal ownership shares, one spouse already owning a separate property, a sale falling through) materially change the outcome, work through the full married-couple ABSD remission walkthrough before exercising an Option to Purchase on the assumption remission will apply.
ABSD for Different Buyer Profiles
Run the same S$1,500,000 condo past four different buyers and the stamp duty bill ranges from S$44,600 to S$1,019,600 — a gap of S$975,000 on an identical purchase price, driven entirely by residency and property count.
| Buyer profile | BSD | ABSD rate | ABSD amount | Total stamp duty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC, 1st property | S$44,600 | 0% | S$0 | S$44,600 |
| SC, 2nd property | S$44,600 | 20% | S$300,000 | S$344,600 |
| PR, 1st property | S$44,600 | 5% | S$75,000 | S$119,600 |
| PR, 2nd property | S$44,600 | 30% | S$450,000 | S$494,600 |
| Foreigner (any count) | S$44,600 | 60% | S$900,000 | S$944,600 |
| Entity / company | S$44,600 | 65% | S$975,000 | S$1,019,600 |
The BSD line never changes — S$44,600 at this price point regardless of who buys (as of 2026-07). Every dollar of spread comes from ABSD, which is why buyer profile, not property type or district, is the single biggest lever on your total transaction cost. Note that a Permanent Resident buying a first home pays less than a third of what a Singapore Citizen owes on a second property at the same price — residency status alone does not make PR buyers cheaper across the board once property count enters the picture.
Stamp Duty Calculation Examples
You're a Permanent Resident buying a S$1,500,000 resale condo as your first residential property in Singapore, funding it with cash and CPF, with no other property owned. Here is exactly what IRAS collects before you get the keys.
| Cost item | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer's Stamp Duty | Six-tier schedule on S$1,500,000 | S$44,600 |
| Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty | 5% (PR, 1st property) | S$75,000 |
| Legal / conveyancing fees | Conveyancing lawyer's fee for a straightforward resale | S$2,500–S$3,500 |
| Total upfront transaction cost | S$122,100–S$123,100 |
Stamp duty alone — BSD plus ABSD — comes to S$119,600, or 7.97% of the purchase price, due before completion and payable in cash or CPF Ordinary Account savings up to the Valuation Limit. Compare that to a Singapore Citizen buying the identical unit as a first home: BSD stays at S$44,600, but ABSD drops to S$0, cutting the total stamp duty bill by S$75,000.
Map every one of these line items — including legal fees, valuation, and mortgage costs — against your own numbers using the total cost of purchase calculator rather than adding this table up by hand; the CPF-versus-cash split alone materially changes how much liquid cash you need on hand.
Payment Timeline & Process
Stamp duty is not a bill that arrives later — it is computed and paid before your purchase completes, and missing a step in the sequence can delay your mortgage disbursement by days.
- Exercise the Option to Purchase (OTP). This date fixes your ABSD profile — your residency status and property count on this exact day, not the day you signed the OTP, determine which ABSD rate applies (as of 2026-07).
- e-Stamp the document via IRAS's myTax Portal. Your conveyancing lawyer handles this as part of the transaction, computing BSD and ABSD together and generating the payment request — verify the computed figures against your own numbers rather than assuming they are correct.
- Pay the stamp duty. Funds can come from cash or CPF Ordinary Account savings up to the Valuation Limit — 100% of purchase price or valuation, whichever is lower — so confirm with CPF Board how much of your OA balance is earmarked before committing it elsewhere.
- Retain your Stamp Certificate. This is your proof of duty paid, required by your bank before releasing the mortgage loan and by CPF Board before releasing OA funds.
- If applicable, file for remission or refund. Married-couple ABSD remission and first-property ABSD refunds after disposing of a prior property are both filed through IRAS's dedicated stamp duty channels — confirm the qualifying conditions and deadlines directly with IRAS before relying on either.
For the current e-Stamping process and document requirements, see IRAS's guide to e-Stamping your document. For what counts toward the Valuation Limit and how CPF OA can be applied, see CPF Board's guidance on property CPF usage.
Stamp Duty Planning Strategies
The single biggest ABSD lever many second-property buyers overlook is not a government remission at all — it is whose name goes on the second property, structured correctly, before the purchase.
Decoupling. Where a property is jointly owned by a married couple, one spouse can transfer their share to the other — by sale or gift, subject to its own stamp duty on the transferred share — freeing that spouse to buy a second property in their sole name at 1st-property ABSD rates instead of 2nd-property rates. On a S$1,500,000 second purchase, that is the difference between an SC buyer paying S$0 ABSD as a sole-name first property versus S$300,000 (20% as a joint 2nd property, as of 2026-07). The strategy only pays off once the ABSD saved exceeds the legal, valuation, and stamp duty cost of the transfer itself — under S$1.5M in property value, those transfer costs can erode most or all of the saving. Work through the full decoupling mechanics and cost breakeven before committing to a transfer.
Decoupling only makes financial sense when the ABSD saved on the next purchase clearly exceeds legal fees, valuation costs, and the stamp duty payable on the share transfer itself — get a lawyer's cost quote for the transfer before counting any ABSD saving as guaranteed.
Timing relative to the SSD cutoff. If you are weighing a purchase you may need to exit within a few years, purchasing on or after 4 July 2025 locks you into the current 4-year, higher-rate SSD schedule rather than the prior 3-year schedule (as of 2026-07) — factor your likely holding period into the purchase decision itself, not just the exit decision.
Entity versus personal ownership. Buying through a company does not avoid ABSD — entities pay a flat 65% regardless of how many properties they already hold, higher than even the foreigner rate. Entity ownership is a decision driven by estate planning, liability, or commercial structuring, not ABSD arbitrage.
Common pitfalls to avoid.
- Budgeting only for BSD and forgetting ABSD entirely when a second property or non-citizen buyer is involved.
- Assuming decoupling automatically saves money without first pricing the legal, valuation, and transfer stamp duty cost.
- Confusing the OTP signing date with the OTP exercise date when working out which ABSD profile applies.
- Assuming a company purchase avoids ABSD, when entities pay a flat 65% regardless of property count.
None of these strategies substitutes for confirming your own numbers against the rate tables above before acting on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must I pay stamp duty?
You must pay stamp duty within 14 days of signing the document that gives effect to the sale — the exercised Option to Purchase or the Sale and Purchase Agreement — if it's signed in Singapore, or within 30 days if it's signed overseas. This covers both BSD and any ABSD due, calculated together and paid as one lump sum via IRAS's e-Stamping portal. Missing the deadline triggers late-payment penalties on top of the duty itself, so lodge payment as soon as the document is signed rather than waiting for completion. Use the stamp duty calculator to know your figure in advance.
Can married couples get ABSD remission?
Yes, conditionally: a married couple where at least one spouse is a Singapore Citizen can buy a second residential property, pay the applicable ABSD upfront, and apply to IRAS for remission if they commit to selling their existing first property within a stipulated period after the new purchase. Miss that deadline and the remission is clawed back with the full ABSD becoming payable, so this only works if you're genuinely planning to sell, not just delay. Confirm the current qualifying conditions and time limit directly with IRAS before relying on it.
How is stamp duty calculated on the purchase price?
Stamp duty is calculated on the higher of the purchase price or the property's valuation, using progressive tiered rates rather than one flat percentage on the whole amount: 1% on the first S$180,000, 2% on the next S$180,000, 3% on the next S$640,000, 4% on the next S$500,000, 5% on the next S$1.5M, and 6% above S$3.0M (as of 2026-07). A S$1,000,000 purchase works out to S$24,600 in BSD. If you're not a first-time Singapore Citizen buyer, ABSD stacks on top at your applicable rate. Get your exact combined figure from the stamp duty calculator.
What happens to SSD if I inherited a property and sell it within four years?
SSD applies to the disposal, not the mode of acquisition. If the inherited property was originally purchased (by the estate or the deceased) on or after 4 July 2025 and you dispose of it within four years of that original purchase date, SSD is payable. If the original purchase predates 4 July 2025, the old three-year schedule and lower rates apply. The holding period runs from the date of the original purchase contract, not the date of inheritance.