Disclaimer (Block 1): This article is for educational purposes only and is intended to assist CEA-registered property agents in understanding regulatory frameworks. It does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. LEVR's calculations are indicative only. Always verify rates and eligibility with your bank, HDB, CPF Board, or a licensed financial advisor before advising clients.
What Is e-Stamping
e-Stamping is the IRAS online system for paying stamp duty on property transactions and tenancy agreements in Singapore. All physical stamp certificates were phased out; stamp duty is now paid entirely electronically through the IRAS e-Stamping portal (accessible at mytax.iras.gov.sg). Once stamp duty is paid, IRAS issues a digital stamp certificate that serves as proof of stamping for the document.
Stamp duty must be paid on instruments relating to the acquisition and lease of property — including Options to Purchase (OTP), Sale and Purchase Agreements (S&P), Transfer instruments lodged at SLA, and Tenancy Agreements. The type and amount of stamp duty depend on the nature of the document, the property type, and the buyer's profile.
What Documents Must Be Stamped
For a typical residential property purchase, the following documents are stamped:
- Option to Purchase (OTP) — typically stamped when the buyer exercises the OTP. The buyer pays Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) and, if applicable, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) at this stage. BSD and ABSD are calculated on the higher of the purchase price or the market value of the property.
- Sale and Purchase Agreement (S&P) or Transfer — for new launch purchases where there is no OTP, the S&P agreement is stamped. For HDB resale transactions, the transfer instrument lodged at SLA is the primary stamped document.
- Mortgage instrument — a fixed stamp duty of $500 is payable on a mortgage instrument (housing loan security document).
- Tenancy Agreement — lease duty applies to both residential and commercial tenancy agreements (though at different rates). Residential tenancy agreements attract a nominal lease duty of 0.4% of the average annual rent for tenancies over 1 year.
Who Is Responsible for Stamping
For property purchases, the buyer (or the buyer's solicitor acting on their behalf) is responsible for paying BSD and ABSD. The buyer's lawyer typically handles the e-Stamping of the OTP or S&P as part of the conveyancing process.
For Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD), the seller is responsible — SSD is payable if the property is sold within the SSD holding period (currently 3 years for residential property).
For tenancy agreements, by convention lease duty is split equally between landlord and tenant (50/50), though the parties may agree otherwise in the tenancy agreement. In practice, the landlord's agent or solicitor typically handles stamping and recovers the tenant's share.
Stamping Deadlines
Missing stamping deadlines incurs late stamping penalties. The deadlines are:
- Document signed in Singapore: must be stamped within 14 days of the date of execution (signing).
- Document signed outside Singapore: must be stamped within 30 days of the document being received in Singapore.
For OTP exercises, the clock typically starts from the date the buyer exercises the OTP (not the date the OTP was first granted). Buyers should instruct their solicitor promptly after exercising the OTP to ensure the stamping deadline is met.
Late stamping penalty: a penalty of $10 or a percentage of the unpaid duty (whichever is higher), escalating with the delay. Documents stamped late are still valid, but the penalty must be paid. An unstamped document cannot be admitted as evidence in court proceedings.
How to Use the e-Stamping Portal
The e-Stamping portal is accessed at mytax.iras.gov.sg using a SingPass login (for individuals) or CorpPass (for companies). The typical process for a property purchase:
- Log in to mytax.iras.gov.sg with SingPass/CorpPass.
- Select "Stamp Duty" → "Stamp a Document."
- Choose the document type (OTP, S&P Agreement, Transfer, Tenancy Agreement, etc.).
- Enter the required property information: property address, purchase price, buyer's profile (citizenship, residency status, number of residential properties owned), and document date.
- The portal calculates BSD and ABSD automatically. Review the computed duty.
- Pay via internet banking, PayNow, or other accepted payment methods.
- Download and save the e-stamp certificate (PDF). The certificate must be retained as proof of stamping.
In practice, the buyer's conveyancing solicitor handles the e-Stamping process. Agents do not typically stamp documents on their clients' behalf — but understanding the process helps agents guide clients on timelines and explain stamp duty costs accurately.
Information Needed to Stamp a Property OTP
To stamp an OTP for a residential property purchase, the following information is typically required:
- Property address and postal code
- Type of property (HDB flat, condominium, landed residential)
- Purchase price
- OTP date and the date the OTP was exercised
- Buyer's identification details and citizenship/residency status (Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, or foreigner)
- Number of residential properties owned by the buyer (or each buyer, if there are co-purchasers) at the time of exercising the OTP, for ABSD assessment
- Whether any ABSD remission applies (e.g., married SC/PR couple)
ABSD and BSD Assessment Date
ABSD is assessed based on the buyer's profile at the time of exercising the OTP (for resale transactions) or signing the S&P agreement (for new launches). The number of residential properties owned at that date determines the ABSD tier.
This means that if a buyer is simultaneously in the process of selling an existing property, they may still owe ABSD on the new purchase if the existing property has not been transferred out of their name by the time they exercise the OTP. Agents should advise clients on this timing risk — particularly when clients are upgrading and expect to sell before buying.
The ABSD remission for married couples (SC/SC or SC/PR couples buying their first joint property) allows ABSD to be paid upfront and then claimed back within 6 months after selling the first property, provided conditions are met. Agents should be aware of this remission when advising upgrading couples.
Guidance for Property Agents
- Stamp duty is the lawyer's job, but the agent must know the numbers: Agents are not responsible for stamping documents, but must be able to accurately explain BSD, ABSD, and SSD to clients at the advisory stage — before the client commits to a transaction. Errors in stamp duty estimates create expectation mismatches that damage client trust.
- Confirm buyer's property count early: ABSD is determined by the buyer's profile at the time of OTP exercise. Confirm the buyer's property ownership status early in the advisory process — including any properties under their spouse's name — to calculate ABSD accurately.
- Flag the 14-day stamping deadline to clients: Buyers who exercise an OTP without legal representation sometimes miss the 14-day deadline. Remind buyers to appoint a conveyancing solicitor immediately after exercising the OTP.
- For tenancy agreements: Advise landlord clients that unsigned or unstamped tenancy agreements cannot be used as evidence in legal proceedings. Stamp the tenancy agreement promptly. The standard practice is to stamp within 14 days of signing.
- ABSD remission timing: For clients using the ABSD remission, advise them that they must sell their existing residential property within 6 months of the new property's completion (for new launches) or within 6 months of the purchase date (for resale properties) to recover the ABSD paid. Missing this deadline results in forfeiture of the ABSD remission.
Summary
All property transactions in Singapore require stamp duty to be paid through the IRAS e-Stamping portal (mytax.iras.gov.sg). The buyer pays BSD and ABSD on the OTP or S&P within 14 days of signing (30 days if signed overseas). ABSD is assessed based on the buyer's citizenship status and property count at the date of OTP exercise. For tenancy agreements, lease duty is typically split 50/50 between landlord and tenant and must be stamped within 14 days. Agents should be able to explain stamp duty costs accurately at the advisory stage, confirm buyers' property counts early, and remind clients to instruct their lawyer promptly to meet stamping deadlines.
Disclaimer (Block 3): LEVR's calculator outputs are estimates based on inputs provided and current regulatory parameters as known at time of publication. They are not a guarantee of borrowing capacity, stamp duty liability, or CPF eligibility. Regulatory thresholds and rates may change. Always verify with IRAS, your bank, or a licensed financial advisor before making financial decisions.