Stamp duty is usually the largest single cost in a Singapore property purchase after the price itself, and it is the one most often left out of the figure buyers have in their heads.
There are two duties to think about when buying. Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) applies to every purchase. Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) applies on top, and depends on who you are and how many residential properties you already hold.
Rates below are those published by IRAS and current as at August 2026. Stamp duty rates change at Budget and sometimes between Budgets, so check the current position on the IRAS website before relying on a figure.
Buyer’s Stamp Duty
BSD is calculated on the purchase price or the market value, whichever is higher. It is charged in marginal bands, so each slice of the price is taxed at its own rate rather than the whole price at the top rate.
Rates on or after 15 February 2023:
| Amount | Residential | Non-residential |
|---|---|---|
| First $180,000 | 1% | 1% |
| Next $180,000 | 2% | 2% |
| Next $640,000 | 3% | 3% |
| Next $500,000 | 4% | 4% |
| Next $1,500,000 | 5% | 5% |
| Remaining amount | 6% | — |
For residential property the top marginal rate is 6%, reached above $3 million. For non-residential property the top marginal rate is 5%, on everything above $1.5 million.
BSD is rounded down to the nearest dollar, subject to a minimum of $1.
Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty
ABSD applies to residential property only. Non-residential property is outside it entirely, which is part of why commercial property attracts buyers who already hold homes. See our commercial conveyancing page.
Rates on or after 27 April 2023:
| Buyer | ABSD |
|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen, first residential property | Nil |
| Singapore Citizen, second | 20% |
| Singapore Citizen, third and subsequent | 30% |
| Permanent Resident, first | 5% |
| Permanent Resident, second | 30% |
| Permanent Resident, third and subsequent | 35% |
| Foreigner, any residential property | 60% |
| Entities, any residential property | 65% |
| Trustees, any residential property | 65% |
Housing developers are charged 35%, plus a further 5% that is not remittable.
Two points people get wrong. ABSD is charged on the whole price, not in bands like BSD, so the difference between nil and 20% is not marginal. And “how many properties you own” counts interests you may not think of as ownership, including a share of an inherited property.
Nationals of certain countries with which Singapore has a free trade agreement may be given the same treatment as Singapore Citizens for ABSD. If you hold one of those nationalities, it is worth checking rather than assuming the foreigner rate.
The married couple remission
This is the provision that matters most to ordinary buyers moving house.
Buying your first property jointly. Where a married couple including a Singapore Citizen buys a residential property in both their names only, and neither spouse owns any residential property, full ABSD remission may apply.
Buying a second property before selling the first. A married couple including a Singapore Citizen, buying in both their names only, may claim a refund of the ABSD paid on the second property if:
- neither spouse owned an interest in more than one residential property each at the date of purchase of the second property;
- ABSD was paid on the second property;
- the first property is sold within 6 months of the purchase date, or of the issue of the Temporary Occupation Permit or Certificate of Statutory Completion (whichever is earlier) where the second property was uncompleted when bought; and
- the couple remain married and the conditions continue to be met.
The six-month deadline is unforgiving, and it is the single most common way this relief is lost. If your purchase and sale are not going to line up, say so before you commit, because there may be a way to sequence it differently.
When stamp duty is payable
Duty must be paid within 14 days of the document being executed in Singapore. Where the document is executed outside Singapore and later brought in, the period is 30 days from the date it is received here.
Late payment attracts a penalty. In practice, on a residential purchase the clock starts when you exercise the Option to Purchase, and your lawyer attends to the payment as part of the transaction.
Seller’s Stamp Duty
If you are selling rather than buying, a third duty may apply. Seller’s Stamp Duty is charged on residential property sold within a holding period, and on industrial property sold within its own holding period. It does not apply to commercial property such as offices and shops.
Where this fits in the transaction
Stamp duty is a payment to IRAS, not a legal fee. Our conveyancing fees are published in full and separately, and we set out the duty payable on your transaction as a figure before you commit, rather than after.
If you are buying with someone else, how you hold the property affects far more than duty. See our note on HDB inheritance rules for what happens to jointly held property, and our will writing page for why the two decisions belong together.