Stamp Duty Guide

ABSD Refund for Single Singapore Citizens Aged 55 and Above

A single Singapore Citizen buying a second residential property normally pays ABSD upfront. For singles aged 55 and above who are replacing their home, IRAS offers a refund of that ABSD, on purchases of a second property from 16 February 2024. It is conditional, time-limited and applied for after the fact.

Who it is for

The relief is for single Singapore Citizens aged 55 and above who buy a second residential property on or after 16 February 2024 and sell their first. It sits alongside the better-known married couple's remission; see the married couple remission guide and the ABSD overview.

The conditions, in plain language

1. ABSD must have been paid on the second residential property.
2. Each first residential property is solely owned by a single SC aged 55 or above, or co-owned only with single SCs aged 55 or above who are immediate family members (parent, child, sibling, or step-equivalents).
3. The owners of each first property must be the owners of the second. Any additional co-owners of the second property must also be single SCs aged 55 or above who are immediate family members.
4. Each buyer must not own more than one residential property at the point of buying the second, and must not have bought or acquired any other residential property since.
5. The buyers must sell the first property within six months of the purchase date of the second (for a completed property), or of the TOP or CSC issue date, whichever is earlier (for an uncompleted property).
6. There must be no change of ownership in the second property when the first is sold.
7. The value of the second property must be less than the value of each first property sold. Value means the higher of price or market value, measured for the second at its purchase date and for the first at its sale date.
8. The refund application must be made within six months after the sale date of the first property.

The "date of purchase or sale" is generally the date of acceptance of the Option to Purchase, or if that is not available, the date of the Sale and Purchase Agreement, or failing that the date of transfer.

How to apply

1. On myTax Portal (Stamp Duty login), go to Request, then Apply for Assessment / Appeal for Waiver, then Assessment (including remission and penalty).
2. If the second property's document is stamped, enter its reference number. If not, stamp it first and pay the 20% ABSD.
3. In Additional Information, enter "ABSD Concession for Single SC Seniors".
4. Attach the exercised Option to Purchase or Sale and Purchase Agreement for the purchase of the second property, and for the sale of the first.

For successful applicants, the refund is paid to the party liable for the stamp duty.

Planning points

• The "smaller replacement" test is strict. If the new home is worth as much as or more than the one being sold, the concession does not apply.
• Two six-month clocks run. One to sell, one to apply.
• Cash flow. You fund the ABSD first, so make sure you can carry it until the refund. See BSD and full cost of buying.
• For HDB flats, HDB's own rules on selling and buying also apply; see HDB owners buying private property.

FAQ

Related guides

• Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) Singapore: Rates & Calculation
• What Counts as Residential Property for Stamp Duty?
• Stamp Duty Refund When a Property Purchase Falls Through

Figures current as of October 2026, from IRAS's page, which cites the Stamp Duties (Senior Singles) (Remission of ABSD on Replacement Property) Rules 2024. Remission conditions can be amended; check IRAS before you buy. This guide is general information only and is not tax or legal advice.