Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) in Singapore: Your Questions Answered
These are the questions people ask most often about additional buyer's stamp duty (absd). Each answer is short; follow the links for the full detail.
What does a additional buyer's stamp duty (absd) calculation tell me?
Calculates ABSD by buyer profile and the number of residential properties owned, using the rates in force since 27 April 2023.
What is the formula?
Citizens: 0% / 20% / 30%. PRs: 5% / 30% / 35%. Foreigners: 60%. Entities: 65%.
What do I need to enter?
Purchase price or market value, whichever is higher (S$), Buyer profile, Which residential property is this?.
Do US citizens pay ABSD as foreigners?
Nationals of the US, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are treated like Singapore Citizens for ABSD under free trade agreements.
Can married couples get ABSD refunded?
Couples with at least one citizen buying a second home may get a refund if they sell the first within six months, subject to IRAS conditions.
Should I rely on this before signing?
Use it to plan, then confirm the figures with your banker, lawyer or the IRAS stamp duty calculator before you exercise an option to purchase.
Can you show an example?
For example, with these inputs:
- Purchase price or market value, whichever is higher (S$): 1,200,000
- Buyer profile: Singapore Citizen
- Which residential property is this?: First
the calculator returns:
- ABSD rate: 0.00%
- ABSD payable: S$0.00
Any tips?
- A second housing loan drops the LTV limit sharply and raises the minimum cash downpayment to 25%.
- Seller's Stamp Duty can wipe out the gains on a quick resale, so check your holding period before selling.
- Stamp duty must be paid within 14 days of signing, so have the cash ready before you exercise the option.
Background
Singapore's property market is shaped by cooling measures introduced since 2009, including Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty, loan-to-value limits and debt servicing ratios. These rules are adjusted when the market runs hot, so the numbers you see today may differ from what friends paid a few years ago.
Beyond the price, buyers should budget for legal fees, valuation, home insurance, renovation and furnishing. Running the figures in advance helps you decide how much cash to hold back and whether a smaller loan or longer tenure makes more sense.
Stamp duties are paid upfront. Buyer's Stamp Duty applies to every purchase at tiered rates up to 6%, while ABSD depends on the buyer's residency status and how many residential properties they already own. Sellers who dispose of a property within the holding period pay Seller's Stamp Duty.
Related calculations
- Rental Yield Calculator: Measures the return from rent before and after costs such as property tax, maintenance fees and agent fees.
- Home Loan Refinancing Calculator: Compares your current mortgage with a new rate to show the monthly saving and how long switching costs take to recover.
- Property Downpayment Calculator: Splits the downpayment into cash and CPF and shows the remaining loan.
- Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) Calculator: Calculates Buyer's Stamp Duty on a Singapore residential property using the tiered rates from 1% to 6%.
Try it yourself with the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) Calculator.
Run your own numbers: Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) Calculator