Stamp Duty on Property in Singapore: BSD, ABSD and SSD Explained

Stamp duty is the tax you pay the government on a property transaction, and it is often the biggest cost after the downpayment. Three duties matter to a home buyer in Singapore — Buyer’s Stamp Duty, Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty, and (when selling) Seller’s Stamp Duty. Here is what each is, who pays it, and the reassuring news for first-timers.

Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) — everyone pays

BSD is charged on every purchase of property, whether HDB or private, new or resale, and is calculated on the higher of the purchase price or market value in progressive tiers — a higher price means a higher effective rate. It is due shortly after you sign or exercise the option, so budget for it as cash upfront.

Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) — the first-home exemption

This is the one first-timers worry about, usually needlessly: a Singapore citizen pays no ABSD on their first residential property. ABSD is a cooling measure aimed at additional purchases — it rises steeply for a citizen’s second and subsequent properties, and applies to permanent residents, foreigners and entities from their first purchase. If this is your only home and you are a citizen, ABSD is not a cost you face. Check the current rate table on IRAS.

Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) — a holding-period tax

SSD is charged if you sell residential property within a set holding period after buying, on a sliding scale that falls to zero once you have held it long enough. It exists to discourage quick flipping. For a first home you plan to live in, it rarely matters — but it is a reason not to buy private property you expect to resell within a couple of years.

How stamp duty fits your budget

Fold BSD (and ABSD only if it applies to you) into your upfront cash alongside the downpayment, legal and valuation fees — the full list is in the real cost of buying. Then match the home to your life stage and location using the first-home workflow and the block rankings.

Figures on this page are computed from the current snapshot and update each rebuild. Contains information from data.gov.sg (Singapore Open Data Licence) and OneMap, Singapore Land Authority. This is general information for research, not financial or professional advice.