Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) in Singapore: Your Questions Answered
These are the questions people ask most often about buyer's stamp duty (bsd). Each answer is short; follow the links for the full detail.
What does a buyer's stamp duty (bsd) calculation tell me?
Calculates Buyer's Stamp Duty on a Singapore residential property using the tiered rates from 1% to 6%.
What is the formula?
1% on the first S$180,000, 2% on the next S$180,000, 3% on the next S$640,000, 4% on the next S$500,000, 5% on the next S$1.5 million and 6% above S$3 million.
What do I need to enter?
Purchase price or market value, whichever is higher (S$).
When must BSD be paid?
Within 14 days of signing the agreement (or exercising the option to purchase) if signed in Singapore.
Can I pay BSD with CPF?
Yes, you can use CPF Ordinary Account savings to reimburse BSD, but you must pay IRAS in cash first.
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
the calculator returns:
- Buyer's Stamp Duty: S$32,600.00
- BSD as % of price: 2.72%
Any tips?
- Seller's Stamp Duty can wipe out the gains on a quick resale, so check your holding period before selling.
- Stamp duty is based on the purchase price or market value, whichever is higher.
- HDB loans are capped at 25 years and must be fully repaid by age 65.
Background
CPF Ordinary Account savings can pay for the downpayment, stamp duties and monthly instalments, but using CPF reduces the money compounding for retirement, and the amount withdrawn plus accrued interest must be refunded to your CPF account when you sell.
The Total Debt Servicing Ratio limits monthly debt repayments to 55% of gross monthly income for any property loan, and the Mortgage Servicing Ratio limits the housing instalment to 30% of income for HDB flats and new executive condominiums. Banks apply a medium-term interest rate in these tests rather than the rate you will actually pay.
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.
Related calculations
- Loan-to-Value (LTV) Calculator: Shows the maximum bank loan and the minimum downpayment under MAS loan-to-value limits for loans up to 30 years (25 years for HDB flats).
- Property Affordability Calculator: Estimates the biggest loan and property price your income supports under TDSR, using the stress-test rate banks apply.
- 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.
Try it yourself with the Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) Calculator.
Run your own numbers: Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) Calculator