Frequently Asked Questions
The owner-occupier tax rates can only be granted to one property owned and occupied by you. For subsequent properties, you will be taxed at residential tax rates even if you are occupying it as your second home.
From your property tax notice and bill, the tax rate applied on the property is indicated in brackets as [Owner-Occupier Tax Rates] or [Residential Tax Rates] under the “AV and Tax Rates” Column.
Alternatively, you can also check using our e-Service by logging in to mytax.iras.gov.sg with your Singpass > Property > View Property Portfolio.
The property will be subject to the property tax rates for residential properties as it is used primarily for residential purposes. Property owners are to satisfy the terms and conditions set out by URA or HDB for the home office scheme.
For landed houses used as childcare centres, approval for change of use would have been obtained from URA. They will continue to be taxed at 10%.
Yes, you have to notify IRAS in writing within 15 days from the date of the change.
Once IRAS is notified of the property transfer, all property tax-related correspondence including property tax bills will be sent to you as the new owner.
As the property owner, you will be liable for all property tax on the property. Hence it is important that you, through your lawyer, enquire if there are any outstanding or future property tax liabilities, and make provisions for the seller to reimburse you for the property tax amount that is to be borne by him.
If you are buying a property that is under construction or newly completed and hence not assessed for property tax yet, you will be billed for the property tax starting from the TOP date.
This is usually within one year of TOP date for residential properties. Your lawyer would usually make provisions to seek reimbursement of property tax from the seller/ developer if the property is transferred to you after the TOP date. IRAS does not apportion the tax liabilities for the parties.
The property tax bill will be issued to the owner who is listed first in the Notice of Transfer filed by the seller’s lawyer. The payment arrangement on the property tax payable is a private matter to be settled among the property owners. IRAS does not issue separate bills.
IRAS would analyse the rents of comparable or similar properties that have been rented out and make adjustments to the values to account for differences in location, size, conditions and other physical attributes.
No, such expenses cannot be deducted for property tax purpose. Annual Value is defined as the estimated gross annual rent of a property.
The Annual Value could be higher or lower than the actual rental as the Annual Value reflects the market rent at the time IRAS reviews the Annual Value, whereas the actual rental could have been fixed earlier.
IRAS uses the annual market rent of comparable properties to determine the Annual Value instead of transacted sale prices because:
There are generally more rental transactions than sales transactions. A higher number of transactions gives a more accurate picture of market activity.
The movements in sale prices are more volatile than rentals prices. Hence, using rental transactions to derive the Annual Value helps to keep property tax more stable for property owners. Other countries like Hong Kong and Malaysia also adopt the same practice of using market rents to determine the Annual Value.
Using historical purchase price to determine Annual Value would be inequitable towards newer owners. This is because the prices of similar and comparable properties can change over time. For instance, newer owners may have a higher Annual Value than those who bought properties in the past if properties prices increase over time.
You can refer to rentals of private residential properties at URA website(Rentals for Private Residential Developments) and rentals of HDB flats at HDB website(Rentals for HDB Flats).
You can object to the AV and/or its effective date within 30 days from the date of the Valuation Notice. If you do not receive the Valuation Notice, you can also object to the AV at any time in the year if you can show that the market values have dropped to below the AV. You cannot, however, object to the tax rates.
Yes. You can appeal to the Valuation Review Board(VRB) within 30 days of the notice on the outcome of your objection. You need to pay the following fees to VRB:
$50 for a residential property taxed at owner-occupier tax rates; or
$200 for any other property.
In your appeal, you need to state the grounds of your appeal and indicate whether you are represented by an agent.
It is held once every quarter.
HDB has other sales modes; Sale of Balance Flats(SBF) exercise, held once half-yearly.
Re-Offer of Balance Flats (ROF) exercise, held all year round from June 2019.
You can get information on the past and upcoming sales launches here.
You can find out by using the Eligibility Check e-service on HDB InfoWEB.
The application period only lasts for 1 week. You do not have to personally apply at HDB Hub.
Applications should be submitted online via HDB InfoWEB.
There is no maximum number, as long as you have not booked a flat.
The ballot numbers are assigned randomly by computer and not by a first-come-first-serve basis.
The balloting process also takes into account your household status, flat type and priority schemes applied for.
If you are taking an HDB loan: 10%.
If you are taking a bank loan: 25%.
You can collect your keys on the Estimated Completion Date(ECD). You will be informed of the ECD when you book a flat.
There are seven things you should be aware of;
1) Available cash savings,
2) Available CPF Ordinary Account savings,
3) CPF Housing Grants(if eligible),
4) Housing loan amount and related costs,
5) Stamp & legal fees,
6) Resale levy(if applicable),
7) Potential renovation costs
The MOP is calculated from the date you collect the keys to your flat. It excludes any period where you do not occupy the flat, such as when the whole flat is rented out or when there has been an infringement of the flat lease.
You can check if you have fulfilled your MOP and is eligible to sell your HDB flat here.
You can find out by using the Eligibility Check e-service on HDB InfoWEB.
There are two ways to find out;
- HDB Map Services((Select the “Housing” icon, and search by postal code/address or browse the map to view the housing information.)
- HDB Property Information(See the year of completion for each block from column D “Year completed”
There are two ways to find out;
- Resale Flat Prices(This service enables you to check the transacted prices for resale flats within the past 2 years. The data is based on registered resale applications, and is updated daily.)
- HDB Map Services(Click on the “Red Housing” icon, under Housing Information, click Resale Flat Prices of this Block.)
All sellers, buyers and their spouses need to have a SingPass for the resale transaction. The SingPass is required when they login to the HDB Resale Portal for the various processes of selling or buying a flat.
For those who do not have a SingPass or have forgotten their SingPass password, they may apply for a new one or reset it via the SingPass website at www.singpass.gov.sg.
For spouses who are not eligible for a SingPass, they have to contact HDB’s Customer Relations Manager to make an appointment to acknowledge the resale documents in person.
Only sellers or buyers can register their own Intent to Sell or Intent to Buy via the HDB Resale Portal.
Sellers should register their Intent to sell before they start marketing their flat for sale.
The Intent to Sell will provide a preliminary assessment of the sellers’ eligibility to sell the flat and receive information about the Ethnic Integration Policy / Singapore Permanent Resident (EIP/SPR) Quota for their block, status of upgrading, billing of upgrading costs and recent transacted prices of nearby flats.
After registering the Intent to Sell, sellers will have to wait out a 7 day cooling-off period before they can grant buyers an Option to Purchase.
Buyers should register their Intent to Buy at the HDB Resale Portal before they start sourcing for a flat to buy.
After registering their Intent to Buy, buyers will receive an instant assessment on their eligibility to buy a resale flat, the CPF Housing Grants and an HDB housing loan.
After registering an Intent to Buy, buyers are not allowed to amend the information they have provided. If they wish to make changes, e.g. in the family composition, they would have to delete the Intent to Buy and register a fresh one.
For buyers who intend to take an HDB housing loan to finance the flat purchase, they must obtain an HDB Loan Eligibility (HLE) letter before the sellers grant them an Option to Purchase.
From 1 Jan 2018 onwards, the sellers can grant you an OTP only after you have obtained a valid HLE letter from HDB.
If you intend to get a home loan from a FI, you must have a valid LO before you exercise the OTP.
Buyers who intend to use their CPF monies to purchase the resale flat must ensure that the funds are available in their CPF Ordinary Account when they submit the resale application.
If the CPF funds are not available, the buyers may have to pay any shortfall in cash. Otherwise, the completion will be delayed.
Buyers or their salesperson can submit the Request for Value after they have been granted an Option to Purchase by the sellers.
Salesperson can submit the Request for Value via the e-Resale e-Service or Estate Agent Toolkit.
You can view the status via the HDB Resale Portal.
Flat sellers and buyers will have to submit their portions of the resale application separately.
If you are the first party who has submitted your portion of the application, you should inform the second party so that he can submit his portion within 7 days.
The resale application will only be considered complete when HDB has received both portions of the resale application from flat seller and buyer.
The system will match the following information (Flat address, Resale Price, Option Fee, Deposit, Option Grant Date, Option Exercise Fee, OTP Serial No.) provided by the flat seller and buyer in their separate applications.
Both flat seller and buyer have to provide consistent information relating to the resale transaction.
If the second party receives the above error message, it means that the information provided by the second party does not tally with that provided by the first party.
To proceed, please refer to the OTP that both parties have executed and check the information provided.
In situation where the error is caused by the first party, you will have to inform HDB.
You may contact Customer Relations Executive at 6490 3626 (Mon – Fri from 8:30am to 5:30pm) to seek assistance for your submission of the resale application.
There is an option to allow you to save the application as draft (Save as Draft).
You may then complete the application later for submission. The draft application will be saved for two weeks.
At the point of submitting the resale application, the documents required for the processing will be indicated.
All the required documents must be uploaded with the resale application.
If all the required documents are not submitted, the resale application cannot be processed and it will be rejected.
The seller’s or buyer’s contact number and email address should be provided so that HDB can send them SMS/email to update on the progress of the transaction or to contact them regarding their resale application.
The Enhanced Contra Facility (ECF) is to facilitate the concurrent sale and purchase of resale flats.
To make use of the scheme, applicants have to submit their applications for both transactions at the same time.
They have to submit their request for the ECF in their flat applications.
Both transactions will be completed on the same day.
To be eligible for the ECF:
– The applicants must NOT have an outstanding mortgage loan with a bank or financial institution for the flat they are selling.
– The applicants are not taking a mortgage loan from a bank or financial institution for the resale flat that they are buying.
– The applicants must appoint HDB to act for them in the sale and purchase of both flats.
For contra cases, there are 3 parties involved. Pls refer to the illustration below.
As the contra party, Mr Koh will have to submit 2 sets of application; an application to sell his flat A and an application to buy flat B. The applications will have to be submitted separately.
In both applications, Mr Koh has to indicate that he is applying for “contra” and to provide the contra flat address.
All portions of the applications (by the 3 parties) have to be submitted within 7 days.
The Temporary Extension of Stay is to help sellers to transit to their new homes after they sell their flat.
The buyers must agree to allow the sellers to stay temporarily in the flat after the transaction is completed.
The buyers must make the request when they submit the resale application and pay a non-refundable administrative fee of $20 (inclusive of GST).
To be eligible for the Temporary Extension of Stay :
– Sellers must have committed (i.e. exercised Option to Purchase or signed Sale and Purchase Agreement) to buy a residential property (HDB flat or private property) in Singapore that is completed and ready for occupation.
– Sellers must not be renting out their flat when the resale application is submitted.
Important Notes:
(a) The temporary Extension of stay is for a period of up to 3 months only.
(b) The sellers and buyers have to negotiate and agree on the rental, if any.
(c) The sellers have to inform HDB’s Branch when they vacate the flat.
(d) During the period of the Temporary Extension of Stay, the buyers, who is the flat owner, will have to pay the service and conservancy charges (S&CC) and will not be eligible for any rebates. They will also pay the property tax based on the residential tax rate and not the owner-occupier tax rate.
Yes. The property salespersons can continue submitting a resale application via the e-Resale e-Service or Estate Agent Toolkit (for agencies which are subscribers).
You can view the status via the HDB Resale Portal.
After the resale application is submitted by both sellers and buyers, HDB will verify the sellers’ and buyers’ eligibility to sell/buy the flat.
If the application is in order, it should be accepted within 10 working days after it is submitted. Sellers and buyers will be notified of the acceptance via SMS/emails.
After the resale application is accepted, the completion will be scheduled 8 weeks later.
Sellers and buyers will be informed of the completion date in the acceptance letter.
The timing for the completion will be confirmed by HDB’s Customer Relations Manager nearer the completion date.
Sellers and buyers can monitor the progress of their resale application by logging in to the HDB Resale Portal with their SingPass.
As the date given in the acceptance letter is already the earliest possible date to complete the transaction, it would not be possible to advance the completion date.
Nevertheless, if the sellers and buyers would like to defer the completion, please send a written confirmation signed by both the sellers and buyers agreeing to the new date to us at hdbresale@mailbox.hdb.gov.sg, within a week from the date of the HDB’s acceptance letter.
The inspection will be scheduled 5 working days after the application is accepted.
If sellers wish to change the appointment, they would have to contact HDB’s Branch Service Line at 1800-2255432.
The purpose of the inspection is for HDB to check whether there are any unauthorised renovation works done to the flat.
The windows will also be checked to see if they comply with the Building & Construction Authority’s requirements.
The financial plan has been simplified.
HDB will rely on the financing information provided by you in the resale application and draft a financial plan for your endorsement.
It will be deposited on the HDB Resale Portal.
You will need to log in to the HDB Resale Portal to endorse the financial plan.
You can revise your financial plan on the HDB Resale Portal, and endorse the revised financial plan.
After the CRM has deposited the draft financial plan and documents on the HDB Resale Portal, you will need to endorse the financial plan and the CPF e-withdrawal, and fill up the Health Declaration Forms (HPS) if you need to apply for the CPF Board’s Home Protection Insurance Scheme.
Next, you will endorse the resale documents and make the necessary payments.
The sale proceeds is calculated based on the resale price less the financial obligations you need to discharge, such as the outstanding home loan, CPF refund, etc.
HDB will rely on the financial information provided by you in the resale application and compute the sale proceeds for you.
The computation will be deposited in the HDB Resale Portal.
You will need to log in to the HDB Resale Portal to endorse the sale proceeds calculation.
The documents will be ready for endorsement about three weeks after HDB have accepted the resale application.
The sellers and buyers will receive an SMS notification when the documents are ready for their endorsement.
No. HDB will prepare the resale documents and deposit them in the HDB Resale Portal.
You will endorse the resale documents online.
An SMS will be sent to your mobile number registered with HDB, to inform you that the draft financial plan is ready for your endorsement.
An email will also be sent to you if you have given your email address.
You can contact the Customer Relations Manager (CRM) in charge of your application for clarifications.
The CRM’s details are provided on the HDB Resale Portal.
You will need to read through the documents before endorsing them.
As the documents are in pdf format, you can save a copy for reference.
Yes, the documents must be endorsed individually by all the buyers (sellers).
The endorsement is sequenced based on the buyers’ (sellers’) information provided in the resale application.
The HDB Resale Portal will also indicate the status of the whole endorsement process.
As long as the Administrators and Executors have a valid SingPass, they too can endorse the resale documents on the HDB Resale Portal.
If your family member is a Singapore citizen or Singapore permanent resident, he/she can apply for a SingPass at the SingPass service link on the login page of the HDB Resale Portal or at SingPass website.
If your family member is a non-resident, he/she may sign the documents in person at HDB office.
Please contact Customer Relations Manager to make an appointment.
You will be given 6 calendar days to endorse the draft financial plan (or sale proceeds calculation) and resale documents.
HDB will send you an SMS indicating when you must complete the process.
HDB will send an SMS to remind you and give you 2 more calendar days to do it.
HDB will also inform the other party (i.e. your sellers or buyers) of the extended deadline via SMS and email.
If the documents are not endorsed, HDB will postpone the resale completion date.
Should any party fail to endorse the documents within the extended deadline, the resale completion date has to be revised.
The Customer Relations Manager(CRM) will inform the sellers and buyers through SMS and email of the revised completion date.
You need to make the payment once you have endorsed the documents.
The payment can be made using credit card (VISA or Mastercard) or NETS QR payment*.
Payment must be made before you can proceed with the transaction.
* The mobile apps that support NETS QR payment are NETSPay, DBS PayLah!, DBS digibank, POSB digibank, OCBC Pay Anyone and UOB Mighty.
You can make the payments online by using your credit card (Visa/ MasterCard) or by scanning the QR code using any of the supporting mobile payment apps such as NETSPay, DBS PayLah!, POSBANK/ DBS Digibank, UOB Mighty, and OCBC Pay Anyone.
You will be directed by the HDB Resale Portal to make the payments once you have endorsed all the documents.
You will receive the resale approval letter within 2 weeks after HDB’s acceptance of the resale application.
HDB will notify you via SMS and email.
You will receive the resale approval letter within 4 weeks after HDB’s acceptance of the resale application.
HDB will notify you via SMS and email.
As there are additional checks involved in the processing of CPF Housing Grants, the grant approval may be issued with or after the resale approval.
HDB will send an SMS and email to inform the sellers and buyers once the resale application is approved.
The approval letter will also be available on the HDB Resale Portal.
For buyers taking an HDB loan, the completion timing can be in the morning (between 10am to 12pm) or afternoon (between 3pm to 5pm).
For buyers taking a bank loan, the completion timing will be in the afternoon (between 3pm to 5pm).
Sellers and buyers will be notified of the completion timing nearer to the completion date.
HDB will send an SMS to inform the sellers and buyers once the resale completion is scheduled.
The completion date and time will also be available on the HDB Resale Portal.
As the date given in the acceptance letter is already the earliest possible date to complete your transaction, it would not be possible to advance the completion date.
Nevertheless, if you would like to defer the completion, please send HDB a written confirmation signed by both the sellers and the buyers agreeing to the new date.
You may email the written confirmation to hdbresale@mailbox.hdb.gov.sg within a week from the date of the HDB’s acceptance letter.
The payment advice will be made available on the HDB Resale Portal.
You will need to print a copy and bring it along for payment before you meet up with the Customer Relations Manager(CRM).
If all the documents have already been endorsed at the HDB Resale Portal, only the flat sellers and buyers need to attend the completion appointment.
However, if they have engaged the services of a private solicitor to act for them in the transaction or appointed a Power of Attorney to represent them, a representative from the solicitor’s firm or the attorney will attend the appointment on their behalf.
Family members who are not able to endorse any documents online will also be called to attend the completion appointment to personally sign them.
All buyers who are buying the resale flat under the Fiance/Fiancee scheme must solemnise their marriage within 3 months after the resale completion.
This is regardless whether they are applying for the CPF Housing Grant and/or the Proximity Housing Grant.
If their marriage is registered in Singapore, they need not submit a copy of their marriage certificate to HDB.
If their marriage is not registered in Singapore, they would have to submit a copy of their marriage certificate to their HDB Branch.
Buyers have to do the following to prepare for the resale completion:
(a) Arrange to inspect the flat to make sure the sellers have vacated the flat before the completion.
(b) Buy the fire insurance, if they are taking an HDB housing loan. They can do it online at Etiqa Insurance.
(c) Pay the balance purchase price of the flat and outstanding fees, if any, in full. They can print a copy of the payment advice from the HDB Resale Portal and use it to make payment (by Cashier’s Order and/or NETS) at HDB’s Payment Office (HDB Hub Atrium Level 3). They will have to produce the receipt showing the payment of the amount in full before the completion can take place.
Buyers must bring the following when they attend the resale completion:
– Identity card of all buyers.
– Spouse’s passport and long term social visit pass/work permit if the spouse is not a Singapore citizen nor Singapore permanent resident.
– Receipt to show that the balance purchase price and outstanding fees, if any, have been paid in full.
– The Mortgage Fire Insurance Policy certificate if the buyers are taking an HDB housing loan.
Sellers have to do the following to prepare for the resale completion:
– Rectify any unauthorised renovation works in the flat and, if required, arrange for another inspection with the Branch before the resale completion.
– Terminate all GIRO arrangements for payments relating to the flat e.g. service and conservancy charges, property tax, Singapore Power etc.
– Pay the service and conservancy (S&CC) charges up to the day of completion and get a confirmation from the Town Council.
– Pay the Property tax up to the end of the year.
– Vacate the flat and arrange for the buyers to inspect it before the resale completion.
Sellers must bring the followings when they attend the resale completion:
– Identity cards of all the sellers.
– Original Option to Purchase (Page 1 to 10).
– BCA windows declaration form.
– Confirmation for payment of the service and conservancy charges and property tax.
– Original duplicate lease of the flat if it has been issued to the sellers.
– Full set of the keys to the flat, including the duplicates, if any.
Sellers can print the Town Council payment letter and the BCA windows retrofitting form from the HDB Resale Portal under the “Approval and completion” section (step 5).
If you are unable to attend the resale completion appointment, you can contact Customer Relations Manager(CRM) who will advise you accordingly.