Most people budget for stamp duty when buying. Fewer know there is one on the way out.
Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) applies when residential or industrial property is sold within a defined holding period after it was acquired. It is not a tax on profit. It is charged on the price whether you made money or lost it.
Rates below are those published by IRAS and current as at August 2026. Stamp duty changes at Budget and sometimes between Budgets, so confirm the position on the IRAS website before relying on a figure.
Residential property
SSD is computed on the higher of the selling price or the market value at the date of sale or disposal.
The rates were changed with effect from 4 July 2025, both raising the charge and lengthening the holding period.
| Date acquired | Held up to 1 yr | 1 to 2 yrs | 2 to 3 yrs | 3 to 4 yrs | Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 2017 to 3 Jul 2025 | 12% | 8% | 4% | Nil | Nil |
| On or after 4 Jul 2025 | 16% | 12% | 8% | 4% | Nil |
The difference is substantial. On a $1.5 million property sold in its first year, the older schedule produced $180,000 and the current one produces $240,000. And a property that would once have been free of SSD after three years now carries 4% into the fourth.
Which schedule applies depends on when the property was acquired, not when it is sold. Anything bought from 4 July 2025 onwards is on the current, heavier schedule.
Industrial property
Industrial property has its own schedule, unchanged since 12 January 2013.
| Holding period | SSD |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 year | 15% |
| More than 1 year, up to 2 years | 10% |
| More than 2 years, up to 3 years | 5% |
| More than 3 years | Nil |
Commercial property
There is no SSD on commercial property such as offices, shops and shophouses on non-industrial zoning. That, together with the absence of ABSD, is a large part of why commercial property behaves differently as an investment. See GST on commercial property for the tax that does apply there.
The details that decide the number
Holding period runs from acquisition to disposal. Getting the acquisition date right matters when the difference between year three and year four is 4% of the price.
Parts acquired at different times are counted separately. Where a seller acquired parts of the property at different times, the holding period for each part is computed from its own acquisition date. This is exactly the situation created by a decoupling, an inherited share, or a transfer between spouses.
Partial interests are charged on the partial interest, valued at the higher of price or market value.
A change of zoning or use can start the clock, since the schedules run from the date of purchase or the date of change of zoning or use.
Where it catches people
A decoupling followed by a sale. Transferring a share to a spouse to manage ABSD is a disposal for one party and an acquisition for the other. The acquired share carries its own SSD clock. Selling within the holding period brings SSD on that share. See decoupling property in Singapore.
Buying before selling, then changing plans. Someone who buys a replacement home intending to sell later may find that a change of circumstances triggers SSD they never contemplated. The ABSD remission clock and the SSD clock are different clocks with different lengths, and both need to be tracked.
Inherited property. How and when an interest was acquired matters, and a share received on death is not the same as one bought. Establish the acquisition date rather than assuming it. See probate and HDB inheritance rules.
An unplanned sale. Divorce, a job move overseas, or a business that needs the capital do not stop the clock. Where a sale is likely to be forced, the SSD exposure is a number worth knowing before the decision is made rather than after the option is granted.
What it means practically
If you are buying, know the date the holding period will end, and treat it as part of the purchase decision rather than a detail for later.
If you are selling, work out the exposure before granting the Option to Purchase, not after. Once the option is exercised there is no room to restructure, and SSD falls due in the ordinary way.
If the sale is close to a threshold, the difference between completing in one month and the next can be a full band. That is worth a conversation before the option is dated. See the Option to Purchase.
Where this sits
We deal with SSD as part of residential conveyancing on every sale, and the corresponding duty on the buying side is covered in stamp duty when buying property.