What is ABSD, in one paragraph
Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty is a tax levied on residential property purchases in Singapore, applied on top of the standard Buyer's Stamp Duty. It was introduced in December 2011 as a cooling measure, and the rate is set by two variables: the buyer's residency status, and the number of residential properties the buyer already owns. The 60% foreigner rate has been in place since the 27 April 2023 cooling measures — a doubling from the previous 30%, which itself had doubled from 15% in December 2021.
ABSD rates in 2026, by buyer profile
These are the rates applied to the purchase price of residential property as of May 2026. Rates apply to the entire purchase price, not on bands like BSD.
| Buyer profile | 1st property | 2nd property | 3rd+ property |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| Permanent Resident | 5% | 30% | 35% |
| Foreigner | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| Entity (company, trust) | 65% | 65% | 65% |
Notice that for foreigners and entities, the count of existing properties does not change the rate — every purchase is taxed at the same headline rate. The "stack" only applies to Singaporeans and PRs.
BSD vs ABSD — what's the difference?
BSD is paid by every buyer regardless of residency. It is calculated on bands: 1% on the first S$180,000, then 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$1.5M, and 6% on any portion above S$3M (for residential). On a S$2M property, BSD comes to S$69,600. ABSD is a separate, flat-rate surcharge on the full purchase price, determined by who is buying. Both must be paid; they are not alternatives.
A worked example: S$2M condo, foreign buyer
A foreigner without Singapore PR buys a S$2,000,000 condo. The math:
- BSD: tier calculation → S$69,600
- ABSD at 60%: 0.60 × S$2,000,000 = S$1,200,000
- Total stamp duty: S$1,269,600
- As a share of purchase price: 63.48%
The S$2M Newton case in my homepage FAQ — that was a real January 2024 transaction. The client was a Shanghai-based fintech founder; we structured the purchase under her individual name rather than her company's, because the entity ABSD rate is 65% — five points worse than the individual foreigner rate. On a S$2M property that's a S$100,000 swing for one line on the Option to Purchase.
Plug in your own number
- Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD)
- S$69,600
- Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD)
- S$1,200,000 (60%)
- Total stamp duty
- S$1,269,600
- As share of purchase price
- 63.5%
Indicative only. Numbers exclude legal fees, agent commission, and CPF / loan considerations. For a binding figure tied to your exact circumstances, WhatsApp me the listing and your profile — I'll send a one-page cost summary. Or run the full version on my calculators page.
When ABSD doesn't apply (remissions)
A few remission paths exist. The two most commonly used by foreign buyers are:
- Free Trade Agreement nationals — Citizens and PRs of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United States are taxed at Singapore Citizen rates rather than the 60% foreigner rate. This is the single largest exemption available and the reason American buyers often outbid mainland Chinese buyers on equivalent units.
- Married couple, matrimonial home — When a Singaporean spouse co-purchases jointly with a foreign spouse, full ABSD remission is available on the matrimonial home, subject to conditions (no other residential property owned, the property is jointly purchased and held, and a Letter of Undertaking is filed).
- Developer ABSD is a separate scheme for developers buying en-bloc residential land and does not apply to individual purchases.
Buyer profiles — quick reference
Where you sit on the residency stack matters more than the headline 60% suggests. The most common foreigner profiles I work with in 2026:
- Mainland Chinese national, no Singapore ties — pays the full 60%. This is the largest single buyer demographic affected by the 2023 measures. The complete walkthrough is in my Chinese buyer's step-by-step process — eligibility, financing, ABSD, conveyancing.
- Chinese-national PR — drops to PR rates (5% on first property, 30% on second). The PR application itself takes 6–18 months; for most clients, this lever is too slow to pull mid-deal.
- Foreign spouse of a Singaporean — full remission on a jointly-purchased matrimonial home. Worth confirming in writing with IRAS before you start viewing.
- American national — Singapore Citizen rates apply. Strongest position among non-resident buyers.
What this means before you start viewing
For a foreign buyer, the working capital number is not the listing price — it is the listing price plus roughly 63% (stamp duty plus around 0.3% legal). On a S$2M target, that is closer to S$3.27M cash-out at completion before any furniture or holding cost. The single most useful thing before viewing is a 15-minute call to confirm which profile you actually fall into, whether any remission applies, and whether the budget number you have in mind is the listing or the all-in. Get that wrong and you waste two months viewing units in the wrong tier.
