No new duty or lending rule in 2026. The stamp duty rates below are the ones in force since 15 February 2023 (BSD), 27 April 2023 (ABSD) and 4 July 2025 (SSD). The 2026 changes were to HDB income ceilings and grants, and to executive condominiums: see Buying an HDB flat.
Stamp duties
Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD): residential, unchanged since 15 February 2023
Paid on every purchase, in bands: each rate applies only to the slice of the price inside its band.
| Band | Rate |
|---|---|
| First $180,000 | 1% |
| Next $180,000 | 2% |
| Next $640,000 | 3% |
| Next $500,000 | 4% |
| Next $1,500,000 | 5% |
| Above $3,000,000 | 6% |
IRAS, rates from 15 February 2023. Residential property, before any Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty.
Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD): unchanged since 27 April 2023
Paid on top of BSD, on the second and later homes, and by some buyers on the first.
| Profile | 1st | 2nd | 3rd+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| Singapore PR | 5% | 30% | 35% |
| Foreigner | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| Entity | 65% | 65% | 65% |
| Trust (residential) | 65% | n/a | n/a |
- Worked on the higher of the price or the market valuation.
- In a joint purchase, the highest rate among the buyers applies to the whole price.
- Nationals of the USA, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are treated as citizens under free-trade agreements.
- Due within 14 days of exercising the option or signing the sale and purchase agreement.
- A married couple, one a Singapore Citizen, can have the ABSD on a joint second home refunded if they sell the first within 6 months. See Decoupling and the 99-1 line.
Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD): two schedules, and the purchase date decides which
| Held | Bought 11 Mar 2017 to 3 Jul 2025 | Bought on or after 4 Jul 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1 year | 12% | 16% |
| 1 to 2 years | 8% | 12% |
| 2 to 3 years | 4% | 8% |
| 3 to 4 years | 0% | 4% |
| Over 4 years | 0% | 0% |
IRAS. The holding period runs from the date the option is exercised to the date of sale.
- Announced 3 July 2025 by MAS, MOF and MND, with no transition period. The clock starts on the date the option is accepted or exercised.
- HDB flats are effectively unaffected: the five-year minimum occupation period is longer than the SSD window.
- Applies to executive condominiums after their minimum occupation period, condominiums, landed homes and sub-sales of uncompleted units.
Mortgage Stamp Duty
- 0.4% of the loan amount, capped at $500. Paid by the borrower.
- Applies to HDB (Deed of Assignment) and private mortgages.
- Payable by cash or CPF for residential property.
Stamp duty on a lease is in the renting guide.
Financing rules
Loan-to-value (LTV)
| Loans outstanding | Max LTV | Min cash |
|---|---|---|
| None (bank or HDB) | 75% | 5% |
| None, extended tenure or age over 65 | 55% | 10% |
| One existing | 45% (25% if extended) | 25% |
| Two or more | 35% (15% if extended) | 25% |
MAS Notice 632 and HDB. An HDB concessionary loan has been held to 75%, level with banks, since 20 August 2024.
- The HDB concessionary loan's LTV was cut from 80% to 75% on 20 August 2024, and is now level with the banks.
- The HDB concessionary rate is 2.6% a year, set 0.1 percentage point above the CPF Ordinary Account rate.
- Extended tenure means more than 30 years for private property and more than 25 for HDB, or a loan that runs past the borrower's 65th birthday.
TDSR and MSR
- TDSR 55%: all monthly debt repayments, on every property loan, as a share of gross monthly income.
- MSR 30%: the mortgage alone, for HDB flats and for executive condominiums bought from the developer.
- Stress test 4.0% p.a.: the interest rate floor banks assess a residential loan at.
- Variable income (commission, bonus) and rental income are counted at 70%, a 30% haircut.
Pledged and unpledged assets
Banks can count some savings towards income for TDSR, over 48 months.
| Asset type | Pledged 4 years or more | Unpledged or under 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid (Singapore dollar cash and deposits) | 0% haircut | 70% haircut |
| Other (shares, unit trusts, bonds, gold, foreign currency, structured deposits) | 30% haircut | 70% haircut |
A $300,000 Singapore dollar fixed deposit counts as $1,875 a month unpledged ($300,000 × 30% ÷ 48) and $6,250 a month pledged for four years ($300,000 ÷ 48). At a 55% TDSR, a 4% stress rate and a 30-year tenure, that is roughly $450,000 to $500,000 of extra borrowing capacity. The assets stay locked with the lending bank for 48 months, and not every bank accepts pledging.
What buying costs in all
| Cost | HDB resale | Private resale | New launch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyer's Stamp Duty | Yes, full scale | Yes | Yes |
| ABSD | If applicable | If applicable | If applicable |
| Mortgage stamp duty | 0.4% of loan, cap $500 | Same | Same |
| Option and exercise fees | Up to $5,000 in all, cash | 1% + 4% = 5% | 5% at booking (cash) + 15% |
| Balance of the 25% downpayment | Cash or CPF | Cash or CPF | Progressive |
| Minimum cash | 5% | 5% | 5% at booking, cash only |
| Cash over valuation | Cash only | Cash only | Not applicable |
| Valuation fee | $120 Request for Value | About $300 to $500, bank valuation | Usually not applicable |
| Legal and conveyancing | HDB solicitors (tiered, from about $21.80) or a private lawyer, $1,300 to $3,000 | $2,500 to $3,500 | $2,500 to $3,500 |
| Registration and caveat fees | Buyer's caveat about $64.45; lease in escrow about $38.30 | Caveat and title fees | Caveat and title fees |
| HDB resale application fee | $40 (1 to 2-room), $80 (3-room and above), per party | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Agent commission | Negotiable, agreed in writing | Negotiable, agreed in writing | Negotiable, agreed in writing |
| Mortgage insurance | HPS (CPF) or MRTA | MRTA | MRTA |
| Fire and home insurance | Mandatory for HDB | Recommended | Recommended |
| Renovation and furnishing | $30,000 to $80,000 and up | $50,000 to $150,000 and up | $50,000 to $150,000 and up (bare handover) |
| Recurring | Property tax, conservancy charges, loan | Property tax, MCST $300 to $800 a month, loan | Same, from TOP |
What selling costs in all
| Cost | HDB | Private |
|---|---|---|
| Agent commission | Negotiable, agreed in writing | Negotiable, agreed in writing |
| Seller's Stamp Duty | Effectively not applicable (minimum occupation period) | Check the purchase date: 16%, 12%, 8% or 4% |
| Legal and conveyancing | $1,500 to $3,000 | $2,500 to $3,500 |
| Outstanding loan | Redeemed | Redeemed; check the lock-in prepayment penalty (about 1.5%) |
| CPF refund and accrued interest | Reduces cash proceeds, often sharply | Same |
| HDB resale application fee | $40 or $80 | Not applicable |
| HDB resale levy | $15,000 to $55,000 if previously subsidised and buying another subsidised flat | Not applicable |
| Property tax, conservancy and MCST apportioned | Yes | Yes |
| Repairs, staging, photography | Optional | Optional |
Cash in hand after a sale is the sale price, less commission (including GST), less SSD, less legal costs, less the outstanding loan, less the CPF principal and accrued interest refunded, less apportionments.
Property tax on the home you live in
Tax is the home's Annual Value (IRAS's estimate of a year's market rent, before furnishing and maintenance) multiplied by progressive rates. Owner-occupied rates apply from 1 January 2025: 0% on the first $12,000 of Annual Value, rising to 32% above $140,000. A 2026 one-off rebate gives 15% off for owner-occupied HDB flats and 10%, capped at $500, for owner-occupied private homes.
Homes that are let out or empty are taxed at higher rates, and the rebate does not apply. See the renting guide.