Per IRAS, Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) is charged on top of Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD), based on buyer profile and number of properties held. For foreigners the rate is 60% — the single biggest cost of buying a home in Singapore as a foreigner.
💡 Lucy’s tip: ABSD depends on identity, not price ratio. On the same home, a citizen, PR, foreigner and US citizen can pay wildly different amounts. Choosing the right status/structure saves more than negotiating the price.
2026 ABSD rate table (per IRAS)
| Buyer | 1st | 2nd | 3rd+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| PR | 5% | 30% | 35% |
| Foreigner | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| FTA national (US etc.) | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| Company / entity | 65% | 65% | 65% |
| Trust (residential) | 65% | 65% | 65% |
Per IRAS, FTA nationals who get citizen treatment: US citizens, and nationals/PRs of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
How is it calculated?
ABSD = purchase price or market value (whichever higher) × rate.
- Foreigner buying a S$2M condo → S$2M × 60% = S$1.2M.
- US citizen, first home → S$2M × 0% = 0.
Legal ways to optimise (per IRAS rules)
- FTA status — US and others taxed as citizens.
- Trust + qualifying beneficiary — ABSD (Trust) remission may apply.
- Timing and count — the first property carries the lowest rate.
Summary
- Foreigner ABSD: 60%, any property.
- Biggest saving: FTA status / qualifying trust beneficiary.
- Due: within 14 days, late payment penalised.
⚠️ Rates as per the latest IRAS announcements; consult a licensed agent and tax adviser.