Paper 2 · Property Taxes (BSD, ABSD, SSD) · 24 min read
Stamp Duties Explained: BSD, ABSD & SSD (Singapore, 2026)
Practise this section (252 questions) → · 4.7 Taxes on property, in sets of about 30
Must-know for the exam
- The buyer pays BSD and, on residential property, ABSD on top; the seller pays SSD; all are charged on the higher of price or market value (IRAS).
- Residential BSD (from 15 Feb 2023, IRAS) runs 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% up to $3m and 6% above $3m; non-residential stops at 5% and attracts no ABSD.
- For the ABSD count, any share, inherited or gifted property and an HDB flat all count; overseas property does not, and a home drops out once its buyer exercises the option.
- From 27 Apr 2023 ABSD by first, second and third property is Singapore Citizen 0%, 20%, 30%; PR 5%, 30%, 35%; foreigner flat 60%; entity or trustee 65%.
- A married couple including a Singapore Citizen, buying a second home in both names only, pays ABSD and is refunded if the first home is sold within 6 months.
- SSD falls on the seller even at a loss: bought from 4 Jul 2025, 16%, 12%, 8%, 4% over four years; bought 11 Mar 2017 to 3 Jul 2025, 12%, 8%, 4%.
- The SSD clock runs from OTP acceptance or the S&P; an heir takes the deceased's acquisition date, and a divorce court-order share the later of the marriage and the transferor's date.
- There is no blanket HDB exemption from SSD; a flat sold after its 5-year MOP is outside the 4-year window, but a share received by gift starts a new clock.
- Stamp duty is due within 14 days of signing in Singapore (30 days after receipt if signed overseas), cannot be deferred, and late stamping costs up to 4 times the duty (IRAS).
- Mortgage duty (from 22 Feb 2014, IRAS) is 0.4% of the loan, or 0.2% for an equitable mortgage, capped at $500; the mortgagor pays unless the document says otherwise.
On this page · 12 sections
Three different stamp duties apply to property in Singapore — two on the buyer (BSD, ABSD) and one on the seller (SSD). The exam tests whether you can identify who pays, on what type of property, and how much for a given profile. All are charged on the higher of the purchase price or the market value. Each rate below carries the date IRAS set it, because cooling measures move them.
1. Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD)
BSD band by band: each slice of the price pays its own rate
Buyer's Stamp Duty worked band by band, rates from 15 February 2023. Bands: first 180,000 dollars at 1%, next 180,000 at 2%, next 640,000 at 3%, next 500,000 at 4%, next 1,500,000 at 5%, and above 3 million at 6% for residential property; non-residential property stays at 5% above 1.5 million. On 1,200,000 dollars both pay 32,600 dollars. On 4,000,000 dollars residential pays 179,600 dollars and non-residential 169,600 dollars, the 10,000 dollar gap being the extra 1% on the million above 3 million.
A $1,200,000 purchasecharged on the higher of price or market value
Residential
From 15 Feb 2023
- First $180,000 × 1%$1,800
- Next $180,000 (to $360,000) × 2%$3,600
- Next $640,000 (to $1,000,000) × 3%$19,200
- Next $500,000 (to $1,500,000) × 4%$8,000
Only $200,000 of this band is used
Total$32,600
Non-residential
Commercial and industrial, from 15 Feb 2023
- First $180,000 × 1%$1,800
- Next $180,000 (to $360,000) × 2%$3,600
- Next $640,000 (to $1,000,000) × 3%$19,200
- Next $500,000 (to $1,500,000) × 4%$8,000
Only $200,000 of this band is used
Total$32,600
A $4,000,000 purchasecharged on the higher of price or market value
Residential
From 15 Feb 2023
- First $180,000 × 1%$1,800
- Next $180,000 (to $360,000) × 2%$3,600
- Next $640,000 (to $1,000,000) × 3%$19,200
- Next $500,000 (to $1,500,000) × 4%$20,000
- Next $1,500,000 (to $3,000,000) × 5%$75,000
- Above $3,000,000 × 6%$60,000
Total$179,600
Non-residential
Commercial and industrial, from 15 Feb 2023
- First $180,000 × 1%$1,800
- Next $180,000 (to $360,000) × 2%$3,600
- Next $640,000 (to $1,000,000) × 3%$19,200
- Next $500,000 (to $1,500,000) × 4%$20,000
- Above $1,500,000 × 5%$125,000
Total$169,600
Source: IRAS, Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD): residential and non-residential rates on or after 15 Feb 2023, charged on the higher of price or market value (page updated 9 Oct 2026, checked 21 Oct 2026).
Paid by every buyer on almost every property purchase — residential and non-residential. It is tiered by price. Residential tiers:
| Portion of price / value | BSD rate |
|---|---|
| First $180,000 | 1% |
| Next $180,000 ($180k–$360k) | 2% |
| Next $640,000 ($360k–$1m) | 3% |
| Next $500,000 ($1m–$1.5m) | 4% |
| Next $1,500,000 ($1.5m–$3m) | 5% |
| Amount above $3,000,000 | 6% |
Non-residential property (commercial and industrial) runs on a shorter ladder that stops at 5%. Note what this really means: the two ladders are identical all the way up to $3m — the only difference is that residential adds a 6% band above $3m, which non-residential does not have.
| Portion of price / value | BSD rate |
|---|---|
| First $180,000 | 1% |
| Next $180,000 ($180k–$360k) | 2% |
| Next $640,000 ($360k–$1m) | 3% |
| Next $500,000 ($1m–$1.5m) | 4% |
| Amount above $1,500,000 | 5% |
So on a $2m purchase the BSD is the same $69,600 whether the unit is a condo or a shop — the tiers have not diverged yet. Take the same two properties to $4m and they split: $179,600 residential against $169,600 non-residential, the $10,000 gap being the extra 1% on the $1m sitting above $3m. The practical exam point is that on non-residential property the ABSD (residential only) is what changes the answer — not the BSD.
2. Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD)
Paid by the buyer, on residential property only, on top of BSD. The rate depends on buyer profile (citizenship/entity) and how many residential properties the buyer already owns. This is the most-tested table in Paper 2:
| Buyer profile | 1st property | 2nd property | 3rd & subsequent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen (SC) | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| Singapore PR | 5% | 30% | 35% |
| Foreigner | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| Entity / Trustee | 65% | 65% | 65% |
- SC vs PR — the headline difference: an SC pays nothing on their first home; a PR pays 5% even on their first. On a second property the gap widens (SC 20% vs PR 30%).
- 2nd vs 3rd: the jump is real — SC 20% → 30%, PR 30% → 35%. Count existing residential properties to place the buyer in the right column.
- Foreigners pay a flat 60% regardless of count. Under Free Trade Agreements, nationals and PRs of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and nationals (not PRs) of the United States, are given the same ABSD treatment as Singapore Citizens. The list is closed: an EU, Australian or Japanese national pays 60%.
- ABSD refund for a married couple: a married couple with at least one Singapore Citizen (it does not have to be SC+SC) buying a second residential property in their two names only still pays the ABSD upfront and is refunded it if they sell their first residential property within 6 months — counted from the date of purchase of the second property where it is already completed, or from TOP or CSC (whichever is earlier) where it was uncompleted — and apply within 6 months of that sale. The full list of conditions is under ABSD remissions and refunds below. Entities and trustees have no equivalent relief — they pay the top rate.
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Quick self-check · 5 questions
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Say your answer out loud, then tap to check it.
What are the ABSD rates for a Singapore Citizen and a PR on a first, second and third property?Show answer
SC: 0%, 20%, 30%. PR: 5%, 30%, 35% (from 27 Apr 2023). Foreigners pay a flat 60% and entities 65%.
Using the shortcut, what is the residential BSD on a $1,200,000 purchase?Show answer
$32,600. For a price between $1m and $1.5m: 4% × $1,200,000 − $15,400. Band by band: $1,800 + $3,600 + $19,200 + $8,000.
What are the SSD rates for residential property bought on or after 4 Jul 2025?Show answer
16%, 12%, 8% and 4% for a sale within 1, 2, 3 and 4 years; 0% after 4 years. Property bought 11 Mar 2017 to 3 Jul 2025 stays on 12%, 8%, 4% over 3 years.
An SC first-timer buys a home jointly with a foreign friend (not a spouse). What ABSD rate applies?Show answer
60% on the whole price or value. Joint purchases take the highest rate applicable to any one buyer, not split by share.
Does inheriting a property restart the SSD clock?Show answer
No. IRAS treats an heir as acquiring on the date the deceased acquired it. A gift without remission does start a new clock for the share received.
Common questions
- What is the difference between BSD and ABSD?
- BSD applies to almost every property purchase, tiered by price, for both residential and non-residential property. ABSD applies only to residential property and varies by the buyer's profile and the number of properties they already own.
- Who pays Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD)?
- The seller pays SSD when residential property is sold within the holding period, regardless of whether the sale is at a profit. For property bought on or after 4 Jul 2025 the period is 4 years (16%, 12%, 8%, 4%); property bought earlier stays on 3 years (12%, 8%, 4%) (IRAS).
- Do HDB flats pay Seller's Stamp Duty?
- There is no blanket HDB exemption — a flat is residential property and is within the scope of SSD. In practice it almost never bites, because the 5-year Minimum Occupation Period is longer than the 4-year SSD holding period (3 years for property acquired before 4 Jul 2025), so a flat sold after MOP is already outside the window. Inheriting a flat does not restart the clock: IRAS treats the heir as acquiring it when the deceased did, and a share received under a divorce court order counts from the later of the marriage and the transferor's purchase. A share received as a gift or bought from a relative without remission does start a new clock. IRAS separately exempts involuntary disposals such as bankruptcy, government acquisition, a return of the flat to HDB on repossession or under SERS, and disposals HDB requires after an inheritance or a marriage (IRAS, read 3 Oct 2026).
- When must stamp duty be paid in Singapore?
- Within 14 days after the date of the document if it is signed in Singapore, or within 30 days of the document being received in Singapore if it was signed overseas. On a resale purchase that means the duty falls due from the exercise of the Option to Purchase, not at completion. Stamping late attracts a penalty on top of the duty — $10 or the duty payable (whichever is greater) if stamped within 3 months after the document is signed (or received in Singapore), and $25 or 4 times the duty (whichever is greater) after that — and a document that is not duly stamped is inadmissible in evidence in court (Stamp Duties Act 1929 ss 46 and 52; IRAS).
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