Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) Formula Explained, With Examples
Every seller's stamp duty (ssd) 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
16% if sold within one year, 12% in year two, 8% in year three, 4% in year four, and nothing after that.
What each input means
- Selling price or market value (S$): the value you enter in the calculator.
- How long you held the property: choose from Up to 1 year, More than 1 to 2 years, More than 2 to 3 years, More than 3 to 4 years, More than 4 years.
Example
For example, with these inputs:
- Selling price or market value (S$): 1,500,000
- How long you held the property: Up to 1 year
the calculator returns:
- Seller's Stamp Duty: S$240,000.00
How the result changes
The table keeps the other inputs at their example values and changes selling price or market value (s$).
| Selling price or market value (S$) | Seller's Stamp Duty |
|---|---|
| 1,500,000 | S$240,000.00 |
| 750,000 | S$120,000.00 |
| 1,125,000 | S$180,000.00 |
| 1,875,000 | S$300,000.00 |
| 2,250,000 | S$360,000.00 |
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.
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.
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stamp duties and monthly instalments, but using CPF reduces the money compounding for retirement, and the amount withdrawn plus accrued interest must be refunded to your CPF account when you sell.
Most Singaporeans live in HDB flats, which can be financed with an HDB concessionary loan at 0.1% above the CPF Ordinary Account rate or with a bank loan. Private property must be financed with a bank loan, and banks offer fixed, floating and SORA-pegged packages.
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 Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) Calculator to plug in your own numbers.
Run your own numbers: Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) Calculator