When the lease on your property ends and you have moved back into your home, you have to reapply for the owner-occupier tax rates for your property using ‘Apply/Withdraw for Owner-Occupier Tax Rates’ - digital service.

If the lease is pre-terminated, please apply for the owner-occupier tax rates by writing to us with supporting documents to show that the lease has been pre-terminated. You may refer to the section above on “Applying for owner-occupier tax rates” for some examples of supporting documents that you can provide to show that the lease has been pre-terminated.

Under the Property Tax Act, when 2 owners are married to each other, you can only apply the owner-occupier tax rates to 1 owner-occupied home, regardless of whether it is owned jointly or separately by both of you.

Property tax is a tax levied on property ownership. The payment arrangement on the property tax payable is a private matter to be settled among the property owners. If one of the owners has made payment, the co-owner is not required to make another payment for the same property. Both owners will be able to view the same amount in myTax Portal as it is tied to the same property.

The owner-occupier tax rates are only granted to one property owned and occupied by you. For subsequent properties, you will be taxed at non-owner-occupier residential tax rates even if you are occupying it as your second home.

The Annual Value (AV) is the estimated gross annual rent of the property if it were to be rented out, excluding furniture, furnishings and maintenance fees. It is determined based on estimated market rentals of similar or comparable residential properties and not on the actual rental income received.

The way the AV is determined is the same regardless of whether the property is owner-occupied, vacant or rented out.

You (as an individual or a married couple) must own and reside in the residential property to qualify for owner-occupier tax rates. If you are a married couple that owns 2 homes, the concession can only be applied to 1 home. Please note that even if a married couple were to occupy two homes, the owner-occupier tax rates can only apply to one of the homes. This is regardless of whether it is owned jointly or separately by the spouses.

The lower owner-occupier tax rates is a concession granted only if the owner is residing in the flat. The owner-occupier tax rates will not be applied on the flat for the extension of stay period because you are not residing in the flat. During the extension of stay period, the higher residential tax rates would apply, which would result in additional property tax payable.

If you (the property owner) reside outside of Singapore temporarily for official or business purposes, OOTR can still be applied so long as your residential property is maintained as your home and is not rented out.

As the owner-occupier tax rates were not applied on the residential property prior to the owner’s passing (i.e. the property was rented out or vacant), the concession is not applicable, and the property will continue to be taxed at the non-owner-occupier residential tax rates. Please arrange to have the property legally transferred to the beneficiaries. IRAS will review the OOTR based on the new owner’s eligibility.

For residential properties held under deceased ownership, IRAS will extend the concessionary rates for a period of two years from date of the owner’s demise to allow some time for the property transfer/sale arrangements to be made before the non-owner-occupier residential tax rates are applied.

If the property has obtained TOP, please let us have the following:

(a) A copy of Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP)/Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC), whichever is earlier (Please indicate if it is a direct CSC) (b) Site area of the land plot

(c) Gross floor area of the property (d) A copy of the constructed floor plans in A4 size (please ensure that the floor plans are clear and the wordings in the plans are of readable font size.) IRAS will review the assessment on the new building after receiving the required information and the owner-occupier tax rates will be granted once the assessment on the new building is finalised. You may also request your architect to submit the relevant information to us directly.

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. We are unable to issue separate bills.

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.

Once the flat is transferred to the buyer, the buyer is responsible to pay any outstanding property tax. The extension of stay is a private arrangement between the seller and the buyer, and the parties may wish to liaise separately on payment matters. IRAS does not arbitrate on this matter.

Please note the concessionary owner-occupier tax rates will not be applicable during the period when the seller continues to reside in the flat after the resale transaction has been completed. The lower tax rates would only apply from the date the new owner moves in to reside in the flat.

The OOTR is a concession given only if the owner is residing in the flat. As you are not residing in the flat during the extension of stay period, OOTR will not be applicable. Whether rent is involved for the extension period is not a relevant consideration for the OOTR concession.