By The Address desk · Last verified 28 September 2026
Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) is a tax on selling a residential property soon after buying it. For homes bought on or after 4 July 2025, it applies if you sell within four years: 16% of the price if you sell within the first year, falling to 4% in the fourth. Homes bought between 11 March 2017 and 3 July 2025 follow the old schedule, with no SSD after three years. The duty is charged on the selling price or the market value, whichever is higher.
Quick facts
- SSD applies to residential property sold within the holding period.
- Bought on or after 4 July 2025: four-year holding period, 16% down to 4%.
- Bought from 11 March 2017 to 3 July 2025: three years, 12% down to 4%.
- Charged on the higher of the selling price and the market value.
- The 2025 change was aimed at quick resales of uncompleted units.
- HDB owners rarely pay it, because the minimum occupation period is longer.
What are the rates?
| Sold within | Bought 11 Mar 2017 to 3 Jul 2025 | Bought on or after 4 Jul 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 12% | 16% |
| 1 to 2 years | 8% | 12% |
| 2 to 3 years | 4% | 8% |
| 3 to 4 years | 0% | 4% |
| More than 4 years | 0% | 0% |
What does that mean in dollars?
IRAS’s own example: a home bought on 7 July 2025 and sold on 9 May 2026 for S$1.8 million falls in the first year, so SSD is 16%, or S$288,000. Had the owner waited until 7 July 2029, there would have been none.
Why was it raised?
The government cited a sharp rise in homes sold after short holding periods, especially uncompleted units being resold. The July 2025 change took the rules back to the four-year period used before 2017, with higher rates.
The WahLiao Verdict
If there’s any chance you’ll need to sell within four years, count SSD as a possible cost before you buy. Buying a private home is a four-year commitment now, whether you plan it that way or not.
Questions people ask
Does SSD apply to HDB flats?
It applies to residential property generally, but HDB owners must usually live in the flat for at least five years before selling, which is longer than the SSD holding period.
Who pays it?
The seller.
Is there SSD if I inherit a property?
IRAS lists exemptions, including some transfers; check the current list for your case.
When does the holding period start?
From the date you bought the property, and it runs to the date you sell it.
Sources: IRAS, Seller’s Stamp Duty for residential property; CBRE on the 2025 change; Rajah & Tann on the new rates. This is general information, not tax advice.
Read next: Buyer’s Stamp Duty and ABSD · HDB Minimum Occupation Period · Back to The Address
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