The HDB Resale Levy: Who Pays It, How Much, and How to Avoid It
The HDB resale levy explained — who pays it, the fixed amounts by flat type ($15k–$50k), when and how it's paid, and how buying resale or private avoids it entirely.
SG Block Index · updated 2026-07-16 · data.gov.sg & OneMap
The HDB resale levy is the quiet line item that catches most second-time buyers by surprise. If you bought your first flat with a housing subsidy and later go for a second subsidised flat or a new Executive Condominium, HDB claws back part of that first subsidy — a fixed sum, in cash, at the point you book the new home. It is not a tax on selling; it is the price of taking a government housing subsidy twice, and it changes the maths of upgrading.
Who actually has to pay it
The levy is triggered by taking a housing subsidy twice, not by selling. You owe a resale levy if you are listed as a core applicant or essential occupier in an application for a second subsidised flat — a new BTO flat, a Sale of Balance flat, a resale flat bought with a CPF Housing Grant, or a new EC unit bought from a developer — and your first flat was itself subsidised. A first subsidised flat means a flat bought directly from HDB, a resale flat bought with a grant, or one taken under certain schemes.
The flip side matters just as much: if your next home is a resale flat bought with no grant, a private condo, or a resale EC, there is no resale levy. The levy only exists to keep the second subsidy fair. This is why many upgraders comparing an new EC against a resale condo quietly fold the levy into the EC’s true cost.
How much it is
For anyone whose first subsidised flat was sold on or after 3 March 2006, the levy is a flat fee set by the flat type you sold — not a percentage, and not affected by your sale price:
| First subsidised flat sold | Resale levy |
|---|---|
| 2-room | $15,000 |
| 3-room | $30,000 |
| 4-room | $40,000 |
| 5-room | $45,000 |
| Executive | $50,000 |
If your first flat was sold before 3 March 2006 under the older rules, the levy is instead a graded percentage of your resale price or the prevailing value (roughly 10% to 15% depending on flat type), plus interest — usually larger than the fixed sums above. The amount is locked in at the point you book the second flat, so it does not keep growing while you shop.
How and when you pay
The levy is determined when you book your second subsidised flat, and it must be settled in cash and/or from the proceeds of selling your first flat. You cannot fold it into your mortgage or pay it with a housing loan, and CPF cannot be used for it. In practice that means it comes out of the same pot you were counting on for your next downpayment, so it needs to sit in your plan from day one — see how much home you can afford for where it fits in the cash stack.
How it changes an upgrade decision
Because the levy only bites on a second subsidised purchase, it is really a fork in the road for upgraders. Taking a new BTO or a new EC keeps you in the subsidised lane and adds $30,000–$50,000 to the bill; buying a resale flat with no grant, or going private, avoids it entirely. If you are weighing an EC against a condo, add the levy to the EC side before comparing — it can close a gap that looked wide. The related trade-offs are laid out in upgrading from HDB to condo and the EC explainer.
None of this changes where a flat is actually good to live in. Once you know your real budget after the levy, screen the shortlist on the things that drive daily life — commute, amenities, schools and lease — using the block-level liveability rankings rather than agent talk.
Figures on this page are computed from the current snapshot and update each rebuild. Contains information from data.gov.sg (Singapore Open Data Licence) and OneMap, Singapore Land Authority. This is general information for research, not financial or professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is the HDB resale levy?
- For first subsidised flats sold on or after 3 March 2006 it is a fixed amount set by the flat type sold: $15,000 for a 2-room, $30,000 for a 3-room, $40,000 for a 4-room, $45,000 for a 5-room and $50,000 for an Executive flat. Flats sold before that date follow an older graded percentage levy with interest.
- Do I pay a resale levy if I buy a resale flat or a private condo?
- No. The resale levy is only triggered when you take a second subsidised home — a new BTO or Sale of Balance flat, a resale flat bought with a CPF Housing Grant, or a new EC from a developer. Buying a resale flat with no grant, a resale EC, or a private property incurs no resale levy.
- Can I pay the resale levy with my housing loan or CPF?
- No. The levy must be paid in cash and/or from the proceeds of selling your first flat. It cannot be financed with a housing loan, and CPF savings cannot be used for it, so budget for it as upfront cash when you book the second flat.
- When is the resale levy amount fixed?
- It is determined at the point you book your second subsidised flat, so the fixed amount does not keep rising while you search. You settle it on completion of the second flat purchase.