BSD & ABSD in Singapore (2026): What You’ll Actually Pay (and Why It Changes Your Decision)

Q: What is the difference between BSD and ABSD in Singapore?

BSD (Buyer’s Stamp Duty) applies to most property purchases and scales with purchase price. ABSD (Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty) is an extra duty that may apply depending on buyer profile and how many residential properties you own.

Q: Do BSD and ABSD affect the cash needed to buy a property in Singapore?

Yes. Stamp duties are upfront buyer friction that increases the total cash/CPF required at purchase. They also raise your break-even holding period because you must spread these one-time costs over more years.

Last updated: February 2026

Stamp duty is not a small admin fee. It is buyer friction — a one-time cost that immediately changes your required cash/CPF and your break-even holding period.

If you want the clean framework: BSD/ABSD is the “entry tax” you must recover (or amortise) through holding period. Short holding periods make this hurt.

Start here (fast path)

1) Anchor the full 5-year ownership model: Property Ownership Cost (5-Year Total Exposure)
2) If you’re deciding between HDB paths: BTO vs Resale Cost Comparison
3) If you’re checking cash readiness: How Much Cash You Need to Buy Property

This page explains structure and decision rules. For exact payable amounts, use the official IRAS stamp duty calculator (rates can change).

Jump to What You Need

1) What BSD and ABSD are (in plain English)
2) Why stamp duties change your decision
3) How BSD/ABSD affects cash and CPF required
4) Decision rules (avoid expensive mistakes)
5) Where to get the exact number
FAQ

1) What BSD and ABSD Are (Plain English)

BSD (Buyer’s Stamp Duty): a duty that applies to most property purchases and generally scales with purchase price.
ABSD (Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty): an extra duty that may apply depending on buyer profile and the number of residential properties owned.

Think of BSD as the baseline entry tax, and ABSD as the “ownership-count / profile modifier”.

2) Why Stamp Duties Change Your Decision

Stamp duties are one-time costs. That means they behave like forced negative return at the start of the holding period. You don’t “earn them back” through instalments — you only recover them by holding long enough (or by resale outcomes that exceed all friction).

One-line rule: The shorter your holding period, the more BSD/ABSD dominates your outcome.

If you might sell in 2–3 years, treat stamp duties as a major risk factor, not a footnote.

This is why we model property as a 5-year total exposure decision — not a monthly instalment decision.

3) How BSD/ABSD Affects Cash and CPF Required

In practical terms, BSD/ABSD does three things:

Raises upfront capital needed: more cash/CPF must be ready at purchase.
Raises your break-even holding period: you must spread buyer friction across more years.
Increases “liquidity lock-up”: capital that could have been your buffer becomes committed.

If you’re planning cash readiness, pair this with: cash required breakdown and rent vs buy framework.

4) Decision Rules (Avoid Expensive Mistakes)

Rule 1: If you might sell within 3 years, assume buyer friction (BSD/fees) is a major penalty.
Rule 2: If ABSD applies, treat it as a “deal-breaker threshold” unless you have a long holding period or a clear capital plan.
Rule 3: Don’t compare “rent vs instalment”. Compare rent vs total exposure (interest + duties + maintenance + exit).
Rule 4: If paying duties depletes your buffer, your real risk is not price — it is forced exit.

5) Where to Get the Exact Number

Because stamp duty rules can change and depend on buyer profile, don’t rely on stale charts. Use the official IRAS stamp duty calculator to compute the exact payable amount for your scenario.

What matters for decision-making is the structure: stamp duties are buyer friction, and buyer friction must be amortised through holding period.

FAQ

What is the difference between BSD and ABSD in Singapore?

BSD applies to most purchases and generally scales with purchase price. ABSD is an additional duty that may apply depending on buyer profile and the number of residential properties owned.

Do BSD and ABSD affect the cash needed to buy a property in Singapore?

Yes. They increase upfront buyer friction and therefore increase the cash/CPF required at purchase. They also push your break-even holding period longer.

Where can I get the exact stamp duty amount for my purchase?

Use the official IRAS stamp duty calculator and verify the latest rates and rules.