Stamp duty on Singapore property has two parts for buyers. Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) applies to everyone, charged in bands from 1% to 6%. Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) depends on who you are and how many homes you own: 0% for a Singapore Citizen’s first home, up to 65% for entities. Both are worked out on the higher of the price or market value and are due within 14 days of signing.
Below are the 2026 rates from IRAS and four worked examples, from an HDB resale flat to a second condo.
Buyer’s Stamp Duty: The Bands
IRAS’s BSD rates for residential property bought from 15 February 2023:
| Portion of price or value | Rate | Duty on that band |
|---|---|---|
| First S$180,000 | 1% | $1,800 |
| Next $180,000 | 2% | $3,600 |
| Next $640,000 | 3% | $19,200 |
| Next $500,000 | 4% | $20,000 |
| Next $1,500,000 | 5% | $75,000 |
| Above $3,000,000 | 6% |
So BSD is $24,600 on the first $1 million and $44,600 on the first $1.5 million. IRAS rounds down to the nearest dollar.
Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty: Who Pays What
IRAS’s ABSD rates for purchases on or after 27 April 2023:
| Buyer | First home | Second home | Third and later |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| Permanent Resident | 5% | 30% | 35% |
| Foreigner | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| Entity or trustee | 65% | 65% | 65% |
ABSD is a flat percentage of the whole price or value, not banded. It applies to HDB flats as well as private homes: a Permanent Resident household buying its first resale flat pays 5% on top of BSD. Nationals of a few countries with free trade agreements are treated as Citizens; IRAS names them, including US citizens who are Permanent Residents.
The short version: BSD is a banded tax every buyer pays. ABSD is the big one, and it depends on your citizenship and how many homes you already own. Budget both in cash or CPF before you sign, because they are due within 14 days.
Stamp Duty in Singapore Property: Four Worked Examples
All our own illustrative figures, using IRAS’s rates.
1. Citizen couple, first home, $600,000 HDB resale flat BSD: $1,800 + $3,600 + $7,200 = $12,600. ABSD: nil.
2. Permanent Resident couple, first home, $800,000 condo BSD: $1,800 + $3,600 + $13,200 = $18,600. ABSD at 5%: $40,000. Total: $58,600.
3. Citizen, second home, $1,500,000 condo BSD: $44,600. ABSD at 20%: $300,000. Total: $344,600. If a housing loan is still outstanding, MAS caps a second loan at 45% of the price, so the downpayment is at least 55%, with 25% in cash; see TDSR, MSR and LTV explained.
4. Citizen couple upgrading: buy before selling They buy a $1,500,000 condo jointly while still owning their HDB flat. They pay $44,600 BSD and $300,000 ABSD upfront. If they sell the flat within six months, they may claim the ABSD back from IRAS. They cannot sell an HDB flat before its minimum occupation period ends; see our MOP guide.
Our stamp duty calculator runs these sums for any price.
The Married Couple Refund in Detail
IRAS may refund ABSD paid on a second home when a married couple, with at least one Singapore Citizen spouse, buys jointly and sells their first home within six months. For an uncompleted second home, the six months run from its Temporary Occupation Permit or Certificate of Statutory Completion. The refund is not automatic: you apply to IRAS after the sale.
IRAS also offers a remission on the first matrimonial home for a Citizen and Permanent Resident couple who own no other property, and an ABSD refund route for single Citizen seniors aged 55 and above who right-size, subject to conditions. Check the ABSD page before relying on either.
Other Duties Buyers Pay
- Mortgage duty: 0.4% of the loan, capped at $500, according to IRAS. Any loan of $125,000 or more hits the cap.
- Seller’s Stamp Duty: paid by sellers who sell within four years of buying, for homes bought on or after 4 July 2025 (three years for homes bought earlier). See Seller’s Stamp Duty explained.
Paying It
BSD and ABSD are due within 14 days of the signed contract (30 days if signed overseas, from receipt in Singapore). Your lawyer usually stamps the document electronically. For HDB resale purchases, HDB’s resale guide lists stamp duty and legal fees among the payments due after you endorse the resale documents. Late payment can cost up to four times the unpaid duty.
What To Do Next
- Work out your total with the stamp duty calculator, then the full outlay with the purchase cost summary.
- If you are upgrading, map the six-month window before you sign.
- See every step of a purchase in how to buy a house in Singapore.
- For a joint purchase with family or a trust, read IRAS’s ABSD page in full or ask a conveyancing lawyer: the rules for trusts and entities differ.
- If you plan to keep one home and buy another, read how decoupling property works and IRAS’s view of it, and the sums for keeping your HDB and buying a condo.
