Subject: RE: Calculation of SSD for HDB sale under 2 years of ownership

From: Eng Choon Tan <ectanec@gmail.com>

Date: 25/07/2016 08:06 PM
To: "Yu Zhu KOH (IRAS)" <KOH_Yu_Zhu@iras.gov.sg>
CC: Kay Cheong Tan <kayctan2003@yahoo.com>, IRAS - eStamp <estamp@iras.gov.sg>, EC Yahoo
<verkzy@yahoo.com.sg>

Dear Elaine Koh,

That is NOT my point of Contention.
Get someone else to reply to my email.
If you cannot read a date properly, you are NOT fit for duty. I am NOT referring to 2011. I asked you to
furnish the 2015 Law.
Get someone else to reply. You are incompetent.
Tan Eng Choon
On 25 Jul, 2016 11:00 am, "Yu Zhu KOH (IRAS)" <KOH_Yu_Zhu@iras.gov.sg> wrote:
Message Classification: Restricted
Dear Sir

We refer to your emails of 14 July 2016 and 21 July 2016.

We wish to further clarify that the law on Sellers Stamp Duty (SSD) is still in operation since 14
January 2011. The explanation of SSD treatment has been explained to you in our emails of 29 June
2016, 01 July 2016 and 12 July 2016.

You may wish to seek separate legal advice from your conveyancing lawyer on the SSD treatment.

Thank you.

Warm Regards,
Elaine Koh
Assistant Manager (PT-Valuation & Stamp Duty) | Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore

(65) 6351 2406 (DID) | (65) 6351 3694 (fax) | http://www.iras.gov.sg | http://twitter.com/IRAS_SG
___________________________________________________________________
A Partner of Taxpayers in Nation-Building and Economic Development

Confidentiality: Privileged and/or confidential information may be contained in this email or its attachments. If this email has
been sent to you by mistake, please notify the sender and delete it immediately. The retention or communication of this emails
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213).

From: ec [mailto:ectanec@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, 21 July, 2016 6:06 PM
To: Yu Zhu KOH (IRAS)
Cc: ec; Kay Cheong Tan
Subject: Re: Calculation of SSD for HDB sale under 2 years of ownership

Dear Elaine Koh Yu Zhu,

It has been a week since my last email to you on the 14th of July 2016.
Time and tide waits for no man.
Perhaps you can get someone else more familiar with the regulations to format a reply to my
single half of a question ?
You do understand that a few tens of thousands do mean a lot to a god forsaken country's
citizen waiting to get rid of the condemned passport....
Thank You,
Tan Eng Choon,
On 14/07/2016 07:35 AM, ec wrote:
Dear Elaine Koh Yu Zhu,
Thank you for you reply.
Do you believe, that the SSD had been deprecated and superseded by a new
regulation to encourage sales in a bear market on 24 Feburary 2015 ?
The property market works is mysterious ways. So much so that your Taxdepartment have to react in a timely manner.

You may have forgotten about the new testament to the efficacy of market
reactions necessitating new regulations.
These are trying periods and the Tax-payer may be testing your memory of recent
events on your own regulations.

Please do a search for new regulations on 24th Feburary 2015 and slightly before
and/or after the said period.

Thank You,

Tan Eng Choon,

On 12/07/2016 09:30 AM, Yu Zhu KOH (IRAS) wrote:

Message Classification: Restricted
Dear Sir

We refer to your emails of 29 and 28 June 2016 enquiring on both

your buyer and your stamp duty liability on your sale of your subject
flat at Block 52, Chai Chee Street, #03-322 (S) 460052.

Sellers Stamp Duty (SSD)

We wish to clarify that sellers stamp duty (SSD) is imposed on
residential properties acquired on and after 14 Jan 2011 if the property
is sold within the 4 years holding period. The SSD holding period is
computed from the date you have purchased the flat to the date you
sold your flat, not any other dates as the law is still in force since 14
Jan 2011.

We wish to further explain that there is no typographical error to the

date used in our SSD example 2 as the date is correct for the purpose
of illustrating that specific scenario. It does not mean that SSD is not
payable for any sale of property on or after 22 Feb 2015, since SSD
liability is computed from the date you have purchased the flat to the
date you sold your flat.

Hence, for your case, you have purchased your flat on or after 14 Jan
2011. If your holding period of the flat is under 2 years, you will be
liable to pay SSD of 12% if you were to sell now. The computation of
the holding period is provided under Article 3(bb) of the First
Schedule in the Stamp Duties Act, Chapter 314.

Please refer to the following table for the SSD rates for the disposal
within the 4 years holding period for property purchased on or after

14 Jan 2011:
Date of Purchase or Date of
Change of Zoning / Use

Holding Period

SSD Rate (on the actual price or

market value, whichever is highe

Up to 1 year

16%

More than 1 year and up

12%
to 2 years
On and after 14 Jan 2011

More than 2 years and

up to 3 years

8%

More than 3 years and

up to 4 years

4%

More than 4 years

No SSD payable

Buyers Stamp Duty (BSD) and Additional Buyers Stamp Duty

(ABSD)
A 3% tiered rate BSD will be payable by your buyer for purchasing
your flat:
1.

First $180,000: 1%

2.

Next $180,000: 2%

3.

Remaining Amount: 3%

If your buyer is a Singapore Citizen (SC) household*, ABSD is fully

remitted. No payment for ABSD is required.

*SC household refers to:

The sole owner of the property who is a SC

The co-owners of the property where at least one of the coowners is a SC

However, if your buyer is a Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR), he
will be liable for an ABSD of 5%.

For further clarification, you may contact me directly at 6351 2406.

We thank you for giving us the opportunity to clarify.

Warm Regards,
Elaine Koh
Assistant Manager (PT-Valuation & Stamp Duty) | Inland Revenue
Authority of Singapore
(65) 6351 2406 (DID) | (65) 6351 3694 (fax) | http://www.iras.gov.sg
| http://twitter.com/IRAS_SG
________________________________________________________
___________

A Partner of Taxpayers in Nation-Building and Economic

Development

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you by mistake, please notify the sender and delete it immediately.
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From: ec [mailto:verkzy@yahoo.com.sg]
Sent: Thursday, 7 July, 2016 5:48 PM
To: IRAS - eStamp
Subject: Re: Calculation of SSD for HDB sale under 2 years of
ownership

Dear Karen Wong Yim Peng (Ms)

Is it so difficult to back up your words by pointing out the actual
Law/Regulations ?
I figure that you do NOT have an education as a Legal-advisor
Tan Eng Choon

On 01/07/2016 11:28 AM, ec wrote:

Dear Karen Wong Yim Peng (Ms),
You are being illogical and you are flip-flopping your way
through in so many ways that I will be far better off
getting a reply from your Manager than to reply to your
Flip-flops.
You can ask him/her to reformat this reply or let me know
if you want to to tell you off point by point.
Get your Business-legal to assist your Manager before
replying
Thank You,

Tan Eng Choon,

On 01/07/2016 09:53 AM, IRAS - eStamp wrote:
Dear Sir

We refer to your email of 29/6/2016 and we

apologise that our reply was unclear to you.

We wish to clarify that in a sale and purchase

of a residential property, a set of stamp duty
(BSD) is payable based on the purchase price
or market value of the property, whichever is
higher. A set of additional buyers stamp duty
(ABSD) may also be payable depending on the
profile of the buyer at the time of purchase. If
the property was acquired on or after 14 Jan
2011 and disposed of within the 4-year
holding period, sellers stamp duty (SSD) will
also be applicable.

You have enquired on sellers stamp duty (on

your part) and the buyers stamp duty (on the
buyers part). More importantly, you would
like to know your stamp duty obligation when
you sell the property at 52 Chai Chee St #03322 Singapore 460052.
1.

Sellers Stamp Duty (SSD)

We wish to explain that sellers stamp duty

(SSD) will be payable if you have bought a
residential property on or after 14/1/2011 and
then sell the same property within 4 years from
its date of purchase.

This means that if you had bought a property

on 22/2/2011 which is after 14/1/2011, you do
not have to pay SSD if you sell the property on
or after 22/2/2015 because you would have
held it for more than 4 years; counting from
22/2/2011 to 22/2/2015:

22/2/2011 21/2/2012 = held for 1 year (16%

SSD applicable if sold during this year)
22/2/2012 21/2/2013 = held for 2 years (12%
SSD applicable if sold during this year)
22/2/2013 21/2/2014 = held for 3 year (8%
SSD applicable if sold during this year)
22/2/2014 21/2/2014 = held for 4 years (4%
SSD applicable if sold during this year)
22/2/2015 = beginning of 5th year (zero SSD

applicable if sold after the 4th year)

Hence you are correct; there is no SSD

payable if you sell the property on or after
22/2/2015 as you had bought the property on
22/2/2011 and have held the property for more
than 4 years.

However, if you had sold the property on

25/1/2012, you would have to pay SSD at the
rate of 16% as you were selling the property
within the first year of purchase. This is the
Example 1 on our website.

For Example 2, the residential property was

purchased on 24/2/2011. Hence the 4 years
holding period will be as follows:

24/2/2011 23/2/2012 = 1st year (16% SSD

applicable if sold during this year)
24/2/2012 23/2/2013 = 2nd year (12% SSD
applicable if sold during this year)
24/2/2013 23/2/2014 = 3rd year (8% SSD
applicable if sold during this year)
24/2/2014 23/2/2015 = 4th year (4% SSD
applicable if sold during this year)
24/2/2015 start of 5th year

Therefore, if the property was sold on

10/6/2013, which was within the 3rd year of
purchase, SSD at the rate of 8% would be
applicable. The example 2 on our website has
indicated that SSD will not be applicable if the
property is sold on or after 24/2/2015 as the
property is no longer bound by the 4 years
holding period.

For your case, our records show that the date

of the Option for the property at 52 Chai Chee
St #03-322 Singapore 460052 was 15/8/2014.
Therefore, if you opt to sell your property
within 4 years from 15/8/2014, you will be
subject to SSD at the applicable rates below.

15/8/2014 14/8/2015 : 1st year (16% SSD

payable)
15/8/2015 14/8/2016 : 2nd year (12% SSD
payable)
15/8/2016 14/8/2017 : 3rd year (8% SSD
payable)
15/8/2017 14/8/2018 : 4th year (4% SSD
payable)
15/8/2018 5th year; no more SSD payable

There is no SSD if you sell it on or after

15/8/2018 as you would have held it for more
than 4 years.
2.
Buyers Stamp Duty (BSD) and
Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD):
As mentioned in our earlier email, the Buyer
of your flat will be liable for Buyer's Stamp
Duty (BSD) at the following rates:
4.

First $180,000: 1%

5.

Next $180,000: 2%

6.

Remaining Amount: 3%

If the Buyer is a Singapore Permanent

Resident, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty
(ABSD) at the rate of 5% shall also be
payable.

ABSD is applicable based on the purchase of

residential property, based on the profile of the
Buyer. For your easy reference on BSD and
ABSD, please visit our website at:
https://www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/OtherTaxes/Stamp-Duty-for-Property/Working-outyour-Stamp-Duty/Buying-or-AcquiringProperty/

We hope that the above clarifies. Please call us

on 1800-460-4923 should you require further
clarification on stamp duty. Our team of
Customer Service Officers will be able to
assist you.

Thank you.

Warm Regards
Karen Wong Yim Peng (Ms)
Senior Tax Officer (PTD-Valuation and Stamp
Duties) | Inland Revenue Authority of
Singapore
(65) 6351 2454 | (65) 6351 3694 (fax) |
http://www.iras.gov.sg |
http://twitter.com/IRAS_SGOur Taxes. Our
Nation.

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confidential information may be contained in
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prohibited and may be an offence under the
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From: ec [mailto:ectanec@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 29 June, 2016 1:24 PM
To: IRAS - eStamp

Cc: Kay Cheong Tan; EC Yahoo

Subject: Re: Calculation of SSD for HDB sale
under 2 years of ownership

Dear Sharifah Fatimah Rahman (Ms),

you conceded on
= on or after 22 Feb 2015 (no pay)
= in your explanation given below.
YOUR POINT = on or after 14 Jan 2011 (pay)
MY POINT = on or after 22 Feb 2015 (no pay)
Which you conceded in your example below
Only Contesting the date-of-purchase as a
Factor
EXAMPLE 1 (repeat)
Buy = on 22 Feb 2011
Sold = 25 Jan 2012
Holding = less-than 1-year
SOLD on or after 22 Feb 2015 (no pay) (you
agreed on this)
EXAMPLE 2 (see your own website and
attached picture - example 2)
Buy = on 24 Feb 2011 (2 Days
DIFFERENCE)(start of your policy)
Sold = 10 Jun 2013
Holding = 2 to 3 years
SOLD on or after 22 Feb 2015 (no pay) (as
specified on your website)
You made a Typographical-error of 14 instead
of 24
= I grant you that
= taken as 24 Feb 2011
You didn't and cannot explain Example 2
*** I want to see your specific Rules-andRegulations on this.
Thank You,

Tan Eng Choon

On 29/06/2016 12:57 PM, IRAS - eStamp

wrote:
Dear Sir

We refer to your email of 28 June

2016.

The SSD holding period for

residential properties purchased on
or after 14 Jan 2011, remains as 4
years.

We wish to clarify on the example

of SSD given in our website.

The example refers to a

residential property purchased on
22 Feb 2011.

If the owner of the

residential property subsequently
sells his property on or after 22
Feb 2015, he will not be subjected
to SSD, as he is considered to have
sold his residential property after
the SSD holding period of 4 years.

We hope that we have addressed

your query on SSD, and apologize
if the examples given in our
website are not clear.

Thank you

Regards,
Sharifah Fatimah Rahman (Ms)
Tax Officer (PTD-Valuation and
Stamp Duties) | Inland Revenue
Authority of Singapore

From: Eng Choon Tan

[mailto:ectanec@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 28 June, 2016 4:59
PM
To: IRAS - eStamp
Subject: Re: Calculation of SSD
for HDB sale under 2 years of
ownership

Dear Sharifah Fatimah Rahman

(Ms),
Do refer to my Original email with
the picture attachment of your
website which you haven't
clarified.
*** Its under the sample
calculation of your both your
examples. In brackets its says after Feburary 2015, no SSD is
payable at all.
*** Please let me know if there
had been a rule change, to that
effect, on Feburary 2015.
Thank you,
Tan Eng Choon
On 28 Jun, 2016 3:58 pm, "IRAS eStamp" <eStamp@iras.gov.sg>
wrote:
Dear Sir / Madam

We refer to your email of 27 June

2016.

1.
While we understand that
HDB's Minimum Occupation
Period (MOP) is 5 years, we wish

to clarify that the SSD holding

period for residential properties
purchased on or after 14 Jan 2011,
is 4 years.

SSD is not payable if the

flat is subsequently sold after 4
years of its purchase.

SSD is payable if the flat is

subsequently sold within 4 years of
its purchase.

2.
Based on the information
that you have provided, we
understand that you are selling the
flat within 2 years of its purchase.
SSD at the rate of 12% will this be
payable on the sale.

The SSD rate of 12% is applicable

for a sale made within the holding
period of more than 1 year and up
to 2 years.

For your easy reference on the

relevant SSD rate, please visit our
website at:
https://www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/
Other-Taxes/Stamp-Duty-forProperty/Working-out-yourStamp-Duty/Selling-or-DisposingProperty/Seller-s-Stamp-Duty-SSD--for-Residential-Property/

3.
The Buyer of your flat will
be liable for Buyer's Stamp Duty
(BSD). BSD rate is:
First $180,000: 1%
Next $180,000: 2%
Remaining Amount: 3%

If the Buyer is a Singapore

Permanent Resident, Additional
Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) at the
rate of 5% shall also be payable.

ABSD is applicable based on the

purchase of residential property,
based on the profile of the Buyer.
For your easy reference on BSD
and ABSD, please visit our
website at:
https://www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/
Other-Taxes/Stamp-Duty-forProperty/Working-out-yourStamp-Duty/Buying-or-AcquiringProperty/

Please note that stamp duties

(SSD, BSD, ABSD) will be
calculated based on the price or
value of the property, whichever is
higher.

We hope the above clarifies.

Thank you
Regards,
Sharifah Fatimah Rahman (Ms)
Tax Officer (PTD-Valuation and
Stamp Duties) | Inland Revenue
Authority of Singapore

-----Original Message----From: ec
[mailto:ectanec@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, 27 June, 2016 2:23
PM
To: IRAS - eStamp
Cc: Kay Cheong Tan
Subject: Calculation of SSD for
HDB sale under 2 years of
ownership

Dear Sir/Mdm,

I went to your website to find out

more on the Seller's Stamp Duty
payable under the existing rules
and saw conflicting information
(see attached 1)

I am writing in because I have

special permission to sell my flat
before the 5 years Minimum
Occupational Period. (see attached
2)

I am fortunate to have a ready

buyer and I need to clarify my
obligations with urgency.

1 = Please let me know what are

my obligations to the Tax
department
2 = What are my BUYERs
Obligations to the Tax department

Address =
= block 52
= Chai Chee Street
= unit #03-322

Owner (myself) =
Name = Tan Eng Choon
NRIC = S7523136I

Copied = Holder of Power of

Attorney (Manager of property - in
my absence)

Thank You,

Tan Eng Choon