SgPropertyInvesting guide

ABSD in Singapore: who pays, how much, and when

Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) is a tax on residential property purchases, paid on top of Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD). How much you pay depends on who you are and how many homes you already own.

Last checked against official sources: 15 October 2026 (IRAS). General information only, not financial, legal or tax advice.

Current rates

For purchases on or after 27 April 2023, charged on the higher of the purchase price or market value:

Entities and trustees buying residential property pay 65%. Housing developers pay 40%, of which 35% can be remitted if conditions are met. Source: IRAS, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty.

Rules that catch people out

• Joint buyers pay the highest rate among them, on the whole price. A citizen buying with a PR spouse who already owns a home is charged on the higher profile.
• Partial ownership counts as a whole property. A 10% share in an inherited home makes your next purchase your second property.
• Your profile is fixed on the date of purchase (the Option to Purchase acceptance or the S&P date). Becoming a PR or citizen afterwards doesn't lower it.
• Properties outside Singapore don't count towards your property count.
• Pay within 14 days of signing (30 days if signed overseas). It can't be paid in instalments. Late payment draws penalties of up to 4 times the unpaid duty.

Refunds and remissions (conditions apply)

• Married couples where at least one spouse is a citizen, buying a second home jointly, may get the ABSD refunded if they sell their first home within 6 months of buying (completed property) or of TOP/CSC (uncompleted property).
• Single citizens aged 55 and above may get a refund on a second property bought on or after 16 February 2024 if they sell the first.
• Nationals of the USA, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway get citizen treatment under free trade agreements. Check IRAS for the conditions.

Each of these has detailed conditions on the IRAS page above. Check them, or ask your conveyancing lawyer, before you rely on them.

Worked example

A Singapore Citizen who already owns one flat buys a S$1,200,000 condo as their second property. ABSD = 20% × S$1,200,000 = S$240,000. That's on top of BSD and payable within 14 days. If they sell the flat first, so that the condo is their only property, no ABSD is payable.

Avoidance schemes

IRAS says it can disregard arrangements made to reduce ABSD, claw back the duty and add a 50% surcharge. Backdating an option to avoid a higher rate is an offence. Be wary of anyone selling an "ABSD-free" structure.