If someone sends you a Stamp Certificate for a Singapore tenancy, use IRAS’s official service to verify it and compare the certificate with your signed agreement. An authentic certificate can still relate to a different document or address. Open myTax Portal through IRAS rather than following a link in an unexpected message.
Keep the original signed agreement, certificate and any later variation together. If the details differ, ask the person who submitted the stamping to explain the discrepancy and check IRAS’s correction process. If the message asks for money to secure a rental, use independent verification before paying.
- Compare the property address and document description.
- Locate the Document Reference Number and Stamp Certificate Reference Number.
- Check authenticity through the official IRAS service.
- Ask the person who stamped the agreement to clarify any mismatch.
- Keep the verified certificate and the agreement it belongs to.
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Run the official check
Read IRAS’s guide to verifying a Stamp Certificate. It identifies the two reference numbers and the service available through myTax Portal’s Stamp Duty login. Enter the numbers exactly as shown. If the service returns an error, check for typing mistakes and use IRAS’s guidance to determine what to do next.
| Check | What to compare | What to do if it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Reference numbers | Certificate and official verification result | Recheck the numbers and official instructions |
| Property address | Certificate and signed agreement | Ask which document was stamped |
| Document details | Type and date, where shown | Compare with the signed version |
| Renewal or variation | Later document and the applicable stamping record | Verify which agreement the certificate covers |
A verified record helps establish that the certificate is authentic. It does not replace a viewing, checking the authority of the person offering the home, or any HDB approval needed for the tenancy.
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Follow up on a genuine mismatch or suspected scam
If the property or document details appear wrong, ask the submitter for the relevant record. IRAS has an amendment or revision process. Use the official process or ask IRAS what applies, rather than editing a PDF or treating a corrected screenshot as an official record.
IRAS’s fake certificate advisory also warns about requests for stamp duty or Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty to secure a rental. If a sender uses a certificate to pressure you into payment, stop and verify through official channels. Check the landlord or agent separately and keep the original messages if you need to report them.
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Worked example with an old renewal certificate
A tenant receives a certificate after signing a renewal. The property address is correct, but the document details appear to refer to the earlier term. The tenant verifies the certificate reference, asks which agreement it relates to and checks whether the renewal has its own applicable stamping record. Both documents are kept in date order.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a correct address prove the certificate is authentic?
Run the official IRAS check and compare the other details with the signed agreement.
What if the certificate is genuine but contains a mistake?
Check IRAS’s amendment instructions and ask the person who submitted it to clarify what was entered.
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Next steps and official sources
Check both references in myTax Portal, match the result to the signed document and follow up on any mismatch through official channels.