Frequently asked questions
General enquiries
When must Stamp Duty be paid?
What if I do not have enough funds to pay Stamp Duty? Can Stamp Duty be deferred or paid by instalments?
Stamp Duty is an upfront cost that one has to consciously set aside when deciding to enter into a transaction. It must be paid in full and cannot be deferred. Inadequate payment or late payment of Stamp Duty is tantamount to non-stamping and penalties would apply.
How do I compute the Stamp Duty payable?
Please refer to the Stamp Duty Interactive Calculator for computation.
How do I retrieve the stamp certificate after successful payment?
Please refer to How do I Retrieve My Stamp Certificate for the detailed steps.
What are the Stamp Duty payment modes available?
Please refer to How to pay Stamp Duty for the payment modes available for Stamp Duty.
Buyer's Stamp Duty
I am a Singapore Citizen buying my first property. Do I need to pay BSD?
Yes, your purchase is subject to BSD. BSD is payable on all acquisitions of immovable properties in Singapore. It is not dependent on the nationality of the buyer or the number of properties that the buyer owns.
I am buying a HDB shop with living quarters. Is my purchase subject to BSD rates for non-residential property?
I am buying a semi-detached house with land zoned “Residential”. The semi-detached house has been approved as a child care centre. Is my purchase subject to BSD rates for non-residential property?
I am buying a land zoned “Commercial & Residential”. What is the market value attributable to the residential and non-residential component?
For a land zoned “Commercial & Residential”, 60% GFA of the land is deemed attributable for residential purpose and the remainder is deemed attributable for non-residential purpose. You may get a professional valuer to value the part of the property attributable to residential and non-residential purposes.
Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty
I am an SC currently owning only one private apartment. I am considering selling it and buying a terrace house. Do I have to pay ABSD when I buy the terrace house?
If you have contracted to sell your only apartment before you execute the Acceptance to the Option to Purchase for the terrace house, you do not need to pay ABSD.
But if you have not contracted to sell your apartment, your purchase of the terrace house will be your second property on which you need to pay ABSD at 17%.I am a SC currently owning a private flat. If I were to downgrade to an HDB resale flat, do I have to pay ABSD on the HDB resale flat?
As HDB’s rules require buyers to dispose of their private properties within 6 months of the resale flat purchase, ABSD remission will be given upfront to purchasers of HDB flats. You do not need to pay ABSD when you buy the flat.
My wife and I are SC and we jointly own an apartment. We intend to jointly purchase a terrace house that is under construction. Do we need to pay ABSD?
The ABSD of 17% is payable as the terrace house will be your second property. However, if you dispose of your apartment within 6 months from the date of TOP/CSC (whichever is earlier) of the terrace house, you may be eligible for the refund of ABSD.
I am an SC married to an SPR. Both of us do not own any property in Singapore. If we jointly purchase our first matrimonial home, do we need to pay ABSD?
SPRs are required to pay ABSD at 5% if they buy their first residential property on their own or jointly with SC. However, if both you and your SPR spouse do not own any property and the matrimonial home is the only residential property owned by you and your spouse, you may be eligible for the ABSD remission for SC married couples.
I am an SC married to a SPR. We jointly own a private apartment. If we buy another house jointly, what is the ABSD payable by us?
If I am in the process of obtaining my SC or SPR at the time of purchase, can I later apply for a remission to enjoy lower ABSD rates based on my new status?
The applicable ABSD rate is based on the profile of the buyer on the date of purchase. You must have been granted the Singapore Citizenship status or Singapore Permanent Resident status by the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) as at the date of purchase in order to enjoy lower ABSD liability. The date of issue reflected in the IC collection slip would be taken as when the status was granted.
Seller's Stamp Duty
When do I need to pay SSD and can the payment be deferred?
SSD must be paid within 14 days from the date of the executed sale contract, otherwise, a penalty will be imposed for late stamping and payment. There is no deferment of Stamp Duty payment.
However, for properties undergoing collective sale, requests may be considered favorably for the waiver of the penalty incurred up to the later of the following dates, whichever is applicable:
(1) Date that the Strata Titles Board grants the Collective Sale Order;
(2) 30 days from the date of decision made by the High Court with no further objection; or
(3) Date of decision made by the Court of Appeal.
Such requests are subject to the following conditions:
(1) The collective sale contract is stamped and
(2) The waiver request is submitted to the Commissioner of Stamp Duties where both conditions are fulfilled within 14 days from the date of the executed contract.
To submit the request for waiver, please perform the following steps:
(1) Log on to e-Stamping Portal
(2) Select "Requests"
(3) Select "Apply for Assessment/ Appeal/ Remission"
(4) Provide the document reference number which was generated upon stamping
(5) Select "E-appeal" as the nature of request. Please be informed that requests to waive penalties incurred up to the date that the collective sale is legally completed or the date that you receive the sale proceeds will not be acceded to.I purchased (i.e. signed the Agreement for Lease) a replacement flat under the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) on 1 Feb 2015. On 1 Sep 2018, HDB confirmed that I have fulfilled the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) of 7 years for the replacement flat and granted approval for me to sell the replacement flat. I sold my replacement flat on 1 Oct 2018. Will the sale be subject to SSD?
I was not adjudged a bankrupt when I sold my private residential property. However, I was adjudged a bankrupt shortly after I sold my property. Can I qualify for SSD exemption and seek a refund of the SSD paid on the sale?
No. At the time of the sale of your property, you were not a bankrupt. Hence, the sale of your property would not qualify for the SSD exemption given to an adjudged bankrupt who has to dispose of the residential property as a result of the bankruptcy.
I am disposing of an HDB shop with living quarters within the holding period. Do I need to pay SSD?
For disposal of HDB shop with living quarters, SSD is payable on the value of the part permitted for residential use if the property is disposed of within the holding period.
Lease Duty
How do I stamp my tenancy agreement?
How do I calculate the Stamp Duty payable for Lease /Tenancy Agreement?
Lease duty is calculated by applying the rate for leases (0.4%) on the Average Annual Rent (AAR), based on the higher of contractual or market rent.
If the lease period is 4 years or less, the computation of Stamp Duty is 0.4% of total rent for the period of the lease.
If the lease period is more than 4 years or an indefinite term, the computation of Stamp Duty is 0.4% of 4 times the AAR for period of the lease.
Do I need to pay Stamp Duty for a novation agreement where all the terms and conditions remain the same except for a new tenant?
If there is no change in the rent and lease period nor any premium or consideration paid for the novation of lease under the Novation Agreement, there is no Stamp Duty payable.
However, if there is any consideration paid under the Novation Agreement, Stamp Duty is payable and is computed on the consideration based on conveyance (BSD) rates.
I paid Stamp Duty on a Lease/Tenancy Agreement, but the Lease/Tenancy Agreement is terminated/aborted. Can I seek a refund of Stamp Duty?
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Property matters | Contact number |
---|---|
Property Tax | 1800 356 8300 for local calls (+65) 6356 8300 from overseas |
Stamp Duty | 1800 460 4923 for local calls (+65) 6460 4923 from overseas |
Appraiser's License House and unit numbers | (+65) 6351 2442 (+65) 6351 2461 |
Late filing / payment matters (e.g. letters on reminder to file / pay, penalties for late filing / payment) | 1800 356 8300 for local calls (+65) 6356 8300 from overseas |
Other enforcement actions (e.g. letters on Court Summons, appointment of bank / employers as agents for payments, travel restriction order) | (+65) 6356 7012 |
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