Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) on a Singapore home is calculated on the higher of the purchase price and market value. Apply the residential rates to each part of that amount. The top residential rate is 6%, which applies only to the portion above $3 million. BSD applies to HDB and private home purchases, including a first home.
For a home with a dutiable value of $600,000, the calculation under the published rates is $1,800 on the first $180,000, $3,600 on the next $180,000 and $7,200 on the remaining $240,000. The total is $12,600. Check Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD), payment timing and any CPF arrangements separately before you commit.
- Confirm the higher of price and market value.
- Use the rate that applies to each slice of that amount.
- Round the final duty down to the nearest dollar under IRAS rules.
- Check when the document must be stamped and who will arrange payment.
- Keep BSD separate from ABSD and other completion costs.
Find the section you need
Use the table and worked calculations to estimate the amount, then read the payment chapter for timing and available funds.
Chapters 1–3
Put the purchase price and market value beside one another. IRAS uses whichever is higher. Start with the document and figures your conveyancing lawyer is using and ask what supports the market value. If the purchase is a conventional open-market transaction at market value, the price may be the working figure. Where they differ, calculate from the higher figure.
An agreed price below market value
Suppose a buyer agrees to pay $570,000 for a home and the market value for stamp duty purposes is $600,000. The working base is $600,000. This matters for purchases between related parties, transfers of interests and other transactions where the consideration may differ from market value. Ask your lawyer or IRAS how to establish the relevant value. Avoid relying on the amount of cash actually transferred if it does not reflect the required duty base.
Check the property type and permitted use
The table in this guide is for residential property. A property with a commercial and residential component can require different treatment. Check IRAS’s classification and obtain advice where the permitted use or interest being acquired is unclear. A listing’s description or the buyer’s intended use does not necessarily establish the tax treatment.
Record the acquisition date
Use the relevant instrument and its execution date to check the applicable schedule. This guide uses the residential bands IRAS publishes for acquisitions on or after 15 February 2023. If you are reviewing an earlier purchase or there is a special arrangement, check the rate and treatment that actually apply. Keep the calculation and legal instructions with the purchase file.
Ask how a discount or benefit is documented
IRAS distinguishes qualifying cash discounts from benefits such as vouchers or rental guarantees. A cash discount may reduce the purchase-price figure if it is properly stated in the document, given at execution and the net price still reflects market value. Non-cash benefits do not reduce that figure under IRAS’s published guidance. Ask your lawyer to confirm the treatment for your documents. Record a furniture package or other benefit separately instead of subtracting its advertised value from the duty base.
Verify the acquisition you are actually making
An ordinary purchase of one home is the simplest case for the table in this guide. A gift, a transfer of part of a property or a purchase linked to another transaction can require a different assessment of the instrument and value. If acquiring several interests together, give your lawyer the contracts and explain how they are linked. The purchase price for one line of an agreement may not be the entire amount IRAS takes into account.
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The rates rise as the dutiable value crosses each threshold. Start at the lowest band and use as much of it as the value allows. Move to the next band with the amount left. Stop once the full value is accounted for. Add the duty from the used bands and round the final duty down to the nearest dollar, subject to IRAS’s minimum duty of $1.
A worked example at $900,000
The first $180,000 gives $1,800 and the next $180,000 gives $3,600. That uses $360,000 of the value, leaving $540,000. Apply 3% to that remainder for $16,200. Total duty is $21,600. The dutiable value stops in the 3% band, but the earlier parts still use their own rates.
Check the threshold before applying the highest rate
At a dutiable value of exactly $1 million, the first three bands give $24,600. If the value increases to $1.05 million, only the additional $50,000 uses the 4% band. That adds $2,000 for a total of $26,600. A small increase past the threshold does not move the whole purchase into the higher rate.
Use cumulative amounts as a second check
When a value is above a threshold, begin with the cumulative duty at that threshold, then add the rate on the amount above it. For example, with a value between $1.5 million and $3 million, start from $44,600 and apply 5% only to the amount over $1.5 million. Compare this quick check with a line-by-line calculation.
| Portion of dutiable value | Rate | Cumulative duty at top of band |
|---|---|---|
| First $180,000 | 1% | $1,800 |
| Next $180,000 | 2% | $5,400 |
| Next $640,000 | 3% | $24,600 |
| Next $500,000 | 4% | $44,600 |
| Next $1,500,000 | 5% | $119,600 |
| Amount above $3,000,000 | 6% | Depends on the value |
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A $1.6 million condo
At $1 million, the cumulative duty is $24,600. The next $500,000 at 4% adds $20,000 and brings the total to $44,600. The final $100,000 at 5% adds $5,000. Total BSD is $49,600. That is a purchase cost in addition to the payments that fund the price.
A $3.2 million landed home
At $3 million, the cumulative duty is $119,600. The remaining $200,000 at 6% adds $12,000. Total BSD is $131,600. Applying 6% to the whole price would produce a different and incorrect result. If the market value is higher than the agreed $3.2 million, repeat the calculation using that higher value.
Two prices close to a band boundary
Suppose two eligible residential homes have dutiable values of $1.48 million and $1.52 million. For the first, add 4% of $480,000 to $24,600 for $43,800. For the second, add 5% of $20,000 to $44,600 for $45,600. The duty difference is $1,800. Use that figure alongside the price difference, financing and work each home needs.
Check the effect of valuation separately
If the seller accepts a lower price but market value still determines duty, the duty saving may be smaller than expected or absent. Ask which amount applies and why. Enter that confirmed amount in the purchase worksheet. Keep the valuation question distinct from how a lender determines borrowing and how CPF Board determines usable funds.
A lower-priced purchase with a higher market value
A buyer agrees to pay $690,000. Assume the relevant market value is $710,000. The amount over the first $360,000 is $350,000, giving $10,500 at 3%. Add $5,400 from the first two bands for $15,900 in BSD. Using only the agreed price would give $15,300. This example shows why a buyer needs the duty value before using a calculator. The arithmetic can be correct while the input is wrong.
A smaller home that stays within two bands
For a dutiable value of $330,000, the first $180,000 contributes $1,800. The remaining $150,000 contributes $3,000 at 2%. The total is $4,800. You stop at the band the amount reaches. Keep a copy of the table and compare the worked result with your lawyer’s calculation, especially if you are planning more than one purchase option.
Test what happens if a valuation changes near signing
Write down the duty estimate using the price and a second estimate using a higher plausible value. Note the difference in cash required. If the estimate is close to the household’s funding limit, ask which value the lawyer intends to use and when it will be settled. Check any implications for other duties separately. Keep the result in the same file as the signed instrument.
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IRAS requires documents to be stamped before signing and provides periods for stamping after signing without penalty. For a document signed in Singapore the ordinary period is 14 days after signing. For a document signed overseas the ordinary period is 30 days after it is received in Singapore. IRAS provides separate guidance on electronic documents. Ask which instrument triggers the obligation and use the actual signing or receipt facts.
Decide who is handling stamping
Your conveyancing lawyer may arrange the filing. Confirm the instrument, due date, amount, funding source and when you will receive the Stamp Certificate. If the parties use an electronic process, check the IRAS rules for execution and receipt. Keep the signed contract and stamping record together.
Check announced service changes
IRAS has announced a service interruption from 22 to 29 December 2026, with affected deadlines due from 22 to 28 December automatically extended to 5 January 2027 under its notice. If a purchase falls around that transition, check the current IRAS notice and confirm your specific deadline. The usual periods apply outside any applicable extension.
If the deadline may already have passed
Contact the lawyer or IRAS promptly and check the late stamping process. Provide the actual instrument date and the signing or receipt details. Use accurate dates when seeking a correction or clarification. Keep the payment record and official reply. Avoid assuming the date of keys or completion is the date from which stamping runs.
Set dates for the bank transfer as well as the filing
If your lawyer handles payment, ask when funds must be received and whether different buyers are contributing separately. Allow time for bank transfer limits or an overseas account where applicable. Confirm who receives the funds and the reference to use. If signing is planned near a holiday or announced portal interruption, check the official notice and the lawyer’s timetable. Keep the instrument date, the statutory deadline and the funds transfer date visible to everyone involved.
Clarify dates when signatures arrive at different times
If the parties are in different countries, or one party signs electronically before another, give your lawyer the full sequence. Include where each party signed and when the signed document was received, rather than assuming the latest date on the file controls. Ask which IRAS rule applies to the instrument. When you receive the confirmation, update your worksheet and keep the supporting record with the signed version. A property completion calendar can show multiple signatures and payments, each with its own timing.
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BSD applies to purchases of residential property regardless of whether the buyer is a Singapore Citizen buying a first property. ABSD is a separate duty that depends on the buyer profile and circumstances. Ask the lawyer for both figures and for any conditions if a remission may apply. Put the gross amounts and any expected refund on different rows so you know what funds are needed at signing.
Confirm whether CPF can be used
IRAS says CPF usage for stamp duty is subject to CPF housing scheme rules. Ask CPF Board and your lawyer how much can be used and when it will be available. If you have to pay cash first and arrange reimbursement later under the relevant process, plan for that timing. A balance visible today does not establish what can be applied to the bill on a specific date.
Work through a purchase budget
For the example $1.6 million condo, add the $49,600 BSD to the relevant fees and any applicable ABSD. Then put the duty payment on the same calendar as the booking fee, first price payment, loan and CPF arrangements. Ask which sums must be ready before a later home sale completes. If using cash from the sale, verify the expected disbursement date.
Keep cash contributions labelled by purpose
An option fee or deposit can be credited toward the purchase price. BSD is paid for the relevant acquisition instrument and does not reduce the purchase price. Use separate rows for price payments and duty so the amount credited towards completion remains clear.
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Record the property, price, market value for duty, rate schedule and expected instrument date. Next write the duty amount, responsible payer, payment method and deadline. Ask your lawyer or use IRAS’s official information to verify the calculation. Keep copies of the verified calculation, proof of payment and certificate after stamping.
Compare two purchases on the same basis
If you are deciding between two homes, check BSD for both, then add the costs that differ. A cheaper home may need more repair or may require a different cash contribution. A higher purchase price can change the duty in a predictable way, but the household should still compare the entire cash requirement. Record which numbers are assumptions and which have been confirmed.
Keep the worksheet updated when a fact changes
If the agreed price changes, confirm the final document and recalculate from the higher of price and market value. If a buyer is added, ask whether this affects other duties or the transaction structure. Where a duty already paid may need to be corrected, use the official process with the transaction reference. Retain the latest result and label any previous calculation as superseded.
Identify the next irreversible payment
Before sending funds, confirm the amount and recipient through the lawyer or official channel. Keep the verified instructions separate from advertisements or agent messages. Share the due date with every person who needs to contribute. This helps the household organise payment even if the person who calculated the duty is away.
A short worksheet for the household paying the duty
Give each purchase one record. Include the address, agreed price, market value, the higher value used for duty, the amount in each applicable band and the total after rounding. Add the document date, deadline and payer. If a lawyer is arranging stamping, record when funds need to reach the firm so it can pay on time. That internal funding date can come before the statutory deadline.
Keep evidence that the correct document was stamped
Check the Stamp Certificate details against the property and purchase file. If you see a difference in the address or parties, tell the lawyer and ask whether a correction is required. Retain the reference and payment record while the issue is being checked. Avoid paying a second time or filing a replacement record without understanding what has already been done.
Budget around the first weeks after signing
Suppose a household has enough savings for the booking fee and expected BSD but plans to use the same balance for renovation deposits. Put each payment in date order, starting with confirmed obligations. Check when other funds can be released and which bills can wait. A duty estimate is more valuable when it identifies the cash needed at the time the lawyer requests it.
Check the document sequence with the lawyer
IRAS says the first executed instrument relating to a sale and purchase generally bears the full duty. Ask which document that is for your purchase, especially if there is an accepted option followed by other documents. Do not treat a later transfer or completion as a fresh start for the earlier stamping obligation. Keep the timeline of execution and the stamping record together.
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Does BSD apply to a first home?
Yes. IRAS says BSD applies regardless of nationality and the number of properties already owned. Check ABSD separately.
Do I pay BSD on an HDB flat?
Yes. IRAS applies BSD to HDB and private property purchases.
Do I apply 6% to a home worth more than $3 million?
The 6% rate applies only to the value above $3 million under the residential schedule.
Do I use the lower price if the seller gives a discount?
Use the higher of the purchase price and market value, subject to the applicable IRAS rules for your transaction.
Is stamp duty due at key collection?
Check the instrument and stamping deadline. The ordinary timing depends on execution and, for overseas signing, receipt in Singapore.
Can I include ABSD in the same calculation?
Compute it separately under the applicable IRAS rules. The result may depend on the buyers and any relief conditions.
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