Should You Leave Property for Your Children? (2026)

Leaving a property to your children can be a gift or a burden, depending on how you pass it on. A gift while you are alive triggers stamp duty on the full market value. An inheritance under a will does not trigger ABSD, but it can raise your child’s ABSD on the next home they buy. Add lease decay, upkeep and family disputes, and the best help for a child is often not the property itself.

At a glance

• A property gift attracts BSD and, if the child already owns property, ABSD on its market value. On a S$1.5m condo that is S$44,600 at the least.
• Inheriting under a will or intestacy does not attract ABSD. But the inherited property, even a small share, counts as one of your child’s properties for later purchases.
• If you and your child buy together, the highest ABSD rate between you applies to the whole price.
• Helping with the down payment or a grant-friendly HDB purchase may cost less than transferring a home.

Three ways to pass on property

Route	Stamp duty	Main risk
Gift now	BSD on market value; ABSD if the child owns property	You lose the asset, and the cost is paid up front
Leave by will	No ABSD on the inheritance (IRAS)	Heirs co-own, and the property counts in their property count
Buy together	Highest ABSD profile applies to the whole price	A parent’s second-home rate can hit a first-time buyer child

These are general rules. Check your own case with IRAS or a lawyer.

What gifting costs: two examples

IRAS treats a gift of property as dutiable. The duty is based on the market value, since no price is paid. Take a S$1.5m condo given to an adult citizen child.

• Child owns no property: BSD is S$44,600, and ABSD for a citizen’s first property is 0%. Total S$44,600.
• Child already owns a flat: BSD is the same S$44,600, but ABSD for a second property is 20%, which is S$300,000. Total S$344,600.

The stamp duty tables show how those figures are built.

Buying together has its own trap. Say you own one home and you co-buy a S$1.2m condo with a child who owns none. Your profile sets the rate for the whole price. IRAS says the higher of the two buyers’ profiles applies to the full value. So ABSD is 20% of S$1.2m, which is S$240,000, plus S$32,600 of BSD. If the child buys alone, the ABSD is 0%.

Three reasons to hesitate

1. The property you pass on keeps ageing. A leasehold home loses value as the lease shortens, and your child inherits only the years that remain. Our guide to leasehold and lease decay explains the effect. For a flat, a short lease also limits how much CPF a buyer can use, because full CPF use needs the lease to cover the youngest buyer to age 95.

2. An extra property is a cost, not just an asset. If your child lives elsewhere, the inherited home is taxed at non-owner-occupied property tax rates, which run from 12% to 36% of annual value. Add maintenance fees, repairs and any loan.

3. Co-ownership and fairness. With two or three children, an inherited home becomes a joint decision about whether to sell, rent or live there. Without a clear will, the Intestate Succession Act splits an estate equally among the children (after the spouse’s half, if there is a spouse). Our guide to estate planning for property owners covers titles, wills and CPF nominations.

Reasons it can make sense

A parent’s help can close the gap for a first-time buyer. Some forms of help cost less than a transfer:

• Cash toward the down payment. Your child buys in their own name, so the purchase is judged on the child’s own property count, not yours.
• Grants tied to family living. The HDB Proximity Housing Grant gives families S$30,000 for living with parents or a child, or S$20,000 for living within 4 km. Our BTO guide shows how the grants fit into a purchase.
• A planned bequest. A will can leave the property to one child and balance it with other assets for the rest.

Questions before you decide

1. Is your own retirement funded without this property?
2. Does your child want the home, and can they afford the upkeep?
3. What is your child’s property count today, and what ABSD would a gift or a joint purchase trigger?
4. Would the transfer treat your children fairly?
5. Have you written a will and a CPF nomination?

Bottom line

Do not assume that the best gift is a property. Count the stamp duty, the lease, the carrying costs and the effect on your child’s own purchases. Then compare the property with cash, grants or a plain bequest. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

• Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty, FAQs — IRAS, rates from 27 Apr 2023 (checked Oct 2026)
• Buyer’s Stamp Duty — IRAS, rates from 15 Feb 2023 (checked Oct 2026)
• Property tax rates — IRAS (checked Oct 2026)
• How much CPF savings you can use for your home purchase — CPF Board (checked Oct 2026)
• Proximity Housing Grant — HDB (checked Oct 2026)
• Information for next-of-kin: estate monies — Public Trustee’s Office, Ministry of Law (checked Oct 2026)