Guide
Seller's stamp duty on homes and industrial property
Seller's stamp duty (SSD) is the duty a seller pays for disposing of certain property soon after buying it. It exists to discourage quick resale, so the rate falls as the holding period lengthens and disappears after a set number of years. IRAS runs two schedules, one for residential property and one for industrial property. This guide explains both and how the clock is counted.
Why it matters at the buying stage
Most buyers think about SSD only when they decide to sell. It is better weighed at the start. If there is any chance you will need to sell within a few years, perhaps because of a posting overseas, a growing family or a change in finances, the duty can take a real share of the sale proceeds. Knowing the cut-off dates lets you plan the timing rather than discover the bill late.
The residential schedule
Homes bought from 4 July 2025 onward carry SSD for four years. IRAS sets these rates:
| Time held | Seller's stamp duty |
|---|---|
| One year or less | 16% |
| Over one year, up to two | 12% |
| Over two years, up to three | 8% |
| Over three years, up to four | 4% |
| Beyond four years | none |
There was no transition period for this schedule: it applied to every residential purchase from that date. Homes bought between earlier dates fall under earlier schedules, which IRAS still publishes for reference, so the rate on a resale depends on when the seller bought.
How the residential clock is counted
The holding period starts on the date of purchase or acquisition and ends on the date of sale or disposal. Where the purchase began with an option to purchase, IRAS treats the date the option was accepted as the start.
This means the clock on a new launch begins when you accept the option at booking, not when you collect keys or complete the purchase years later. A buyer who books a home in an uncompleted project may therefore pass the four-year mark before, or soon after, the project obtains its temporary occupation permit. The new launch purchase guide sets out those dates.
The industrial schedule
Industrial property and industrial land acquired on or after 12 January 2013 have their own, shorter schedule. IRAS lists:
| Time held | Seller's stamp duty |
|---|---|
| One year or less | 15% |
| Over one year, up to two | 10% |
| Over two years, up to three | 5% |
| Beyond three years | none |
The industrial schedule matters for owner-occupiers who outgrow a unit quickly and for investors in strata factories, food factories and warehouses. The industrial property guide covers the rest of the purchase, from zoning to financing.
Commercial property
IRAS publishes seller's stamp duty schedules for residential and industrial property only. A shop, office or medical suite bought as commercial property is outside both. The commercial property guide explains the duties that do apply there.
What the duty is charged on
The duty is worked out on the sale price or the market value on the day of sale, whichever is greater, and IRAS rounds the result down to the nearest dollar. The seller must pay it within 14 days of the signed sale contract. There is no deferment.
Worked examples with illustrative figures
The figures below are illustrative only; they are not prices for any project in this guide.
**A home sold after 20 months.** Suppose a home bought in 2026 is sold at an illustrative $1,500,000 about 20 months after the option was accepted. That falls in the band of over one year up to two years, so the rate is 12%, and SSD comes to $180,000.
**The same home sold after 50 months.** Holding beyond four years takes the sale outside the schedule, so no SSD is payable. The difference between the two outcomes is entirely a matter of timing.
**An industrial unit sold after 30 months.** Take an industrial unit sold at an illustrative $1,000,000 two and a half years after purchase. The industrial band for over two years up to three applies, at 5%, giving SSD of $50,000. Six months later, the duty would be nil.
Situations that are often misread
- **Selling to a family member.** A transfer within a family is still a disposal and can attract SSD; IRAS lists the specific cases that are relieved.
- **Decoupling a jointly held home.** Handing a part-share to a co-owner still counts as disposing of it, so check the date the share was first acquired.
- **Upgrading and selling the old home.** SSD is about the home being sold, not the one being bought, so the date the old home was acquired is the one that matters.
- **Uncompleted homes.** Selling before completion is still a sale. The holding period counts from the option you accepted when you booked.
Calculators and related reading
The stamp duty guide covers the duties paid when buying. The industrial purchase calculator and the commercial purchase calculator help model the cash needed for a non-residential purchase.
If your plans are long term, the directory makes it easy to compare completed homes such as Marina Collection with projects still under construction such as Lucerne Grand, where the holding period would run during the build.
Sources and date checked
Figures checked on 12 November 2026 against these IRAS pages:
- IRAS: Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) for residential property-for-residential-property), page last updated 13 August 2026
- IRAS: Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) for industrial property-for-industrial-property), page last updated 13 August 2026
The schedules change from time to time. Confirm the rate that applies to your purchase date on the IRAS pages before you sell.
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