Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) Formula Explained, With Examples
Every buyer's stamp duty (bsd) result comes from one formula. Once you understand what goes into it, you can sanity-check any figure you are given, whether by an employer, a bank, a teacher or another website.
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$3 million.
What each input means
- Purchase price or market value, whichever is higher (S$): the value you enter in the calculator.
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$32,600.00
- BSD as % of price: 2.72%
How the result changes
The table keeps the other inputs at their example values and changes purchase price or market value, whichever is higher (s$).
| Purchase price or market value, whichever is higher (S$) | Buyer's Stamp Duty | BSD as % of price |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200,000 | S$32,600.00 | 2.72% |
| 600,000 | S$12,600.00 | 2.10% |
| 900,000 | S$21,600.00 | 2.40% |
| 1,500,000 | S$44,600.00 | 2.97% |
| 1,800,000 | S$59,600.00 | 3.31% |
Why it matters
Property is the largest purchase most Singaporeans make, and stamp duties, loan limits and cash requirements are front-loaded. Small mistakes in these figures can mean a shortfall at completion, so it pays to run the numbers before you commit to an option to purchase.
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stamp duties and monthly instalments, but using CPF reduces the money compounding for retirement, and the amount withdrawn plus accrued interest must be refunded to your CPF account when you sell.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.
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.
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.
Use the Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) Calculator to plug in your own numbers.
Run your own numbers: Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) Calculator