Seller’s stamp duty hike surprises some amid moderating property market, but is ultimately prudent

SINGAPORE - With the growth momentum in private home prices moderating and the proportion of sub-sales declining in recent quarters, some have questioned why steps are being taken at this juncture to tame sub-sales, or units sold before a property has attained completion status.

The

latest revision to the seller’s stamp duty (SSD) regime

extends the SSD holding period from three to four years and raises SSD rates by 4 percentage points across all tiers with effect from July 4.