Extension of the Holding Period of Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) and Higher SSD Rates for Residential Properties
The tighter SSD regime may discourage short-term resales and sub-sales, potentially reducing speculative transactions and encouraging private-home buyers to adopt longer holding periods.
For homes purchased from 4 July 2025, Singapore extended SSD liability from three to four years and raised every holding-period rate by four percentage points.
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The Government announced today the following changes to the Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) for residential properties: (a) increase of the holding period from three to four years, and (b) increase of the SSD rates by four percentage points for each tier of the holding period. These changes will take effect for all residential properties purchased on and after 4 July 2025, 12.00am. The revised SSD will not affect HDB owners due to the Minimum Occupation Period for HDB flats.
Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD)
The SSD is payable by those who sell a residential property within a specified period after purchase. In 2017, this period was reduced from four to three years, and the SSD rates were also reduced by four percentage points for each tier of the holding period.
In recent years, the number of private residential property transactions with short holding periods has increased sharply. In particular, there has been a significant increase in the sub-sale of units that have not been completed.
Therefore, the Government will revert to the pre-2017 SSD holding period of four years, and raise the SSD rates by four percentage points for each tier of the holding period.
These changes will apply to all residential property purchased on and after 4 July 2025, 12.00am. Details of the revised SSD rates are in Table 1.
Table 1: SSD Schedule
Holding Period
Rates from 11 March 2017 to 3 July 2025
Rates on and after 4 July 2025
Up to 1 year
12%
16%
More than 1 year but up to 2 years
8%
12%
More than 2 years but up to 3 years
4%
8%
More than 3 years but up to 4 years
0%
4%
More than 4 years
0%
0% (no change)
Issued By: Ministry of National Development, Ministry of Finance, and Monetary Authority of Singapore
Date: 3 July 2025