What taxes apply when buying property in Thailand?

Four charges can apply at the Land Office: a 2 percent transfer fee on the appraised value, either Specific Business Tax of 3.3 percent (if sold within five years) or stamp duty of 0.5 percent (if held longer), and a withholding tax that stands in for the seller's income tax. The total varies with holding period and who agrees to pay each part.

What is the difference between SBT and stamp duty?

They are mutually exclusive. If the seller has owned the property for less than five years, the higher 3.3 percent Specific Business Tax applies and stamp duty is waived. If the seller has owned it for five years or more, or is registered there, only the lower 0.5 percent stamp duty applies. You never pay both.

Who pays these transfer costs?

By law the seller owes SBT and withholding tax while the buyer and seller split the transfer fee, but in practice the split is negotiable and written into the sale contract. Buyers often agree to share or absorb costs to close the deal. This calculator shows the full pot so you can negotiate the split.

Is the tax based on sale price or assessed value?

The Land Office uses the higher of the actual sale price and its own government-appraised value for most calculations. The appraised value is often lower than market price, which can reduce the tax base. Enter the value the Land Office will actually apply for the most accurate estimate.

How is withholding tax calculated?

For companies it is a flat 1 percent of the sale or appraised value. For individuals it is a progressive income-tax calculation on the appraised value after a deduction that depends on years of ownership, which is complex. This tool uses a simplified individual estimate and the exact 1 percent company rate.

Thailand Stamp Duty / Transfer Tax Calculator

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Buying or selling property in Thailand triggers several Land Office charges that depend heavily on how long the seller has owned it. This calculator layers the transfer fee, the correct one of Specific Business Tax or stamp duty, and a withholding-tax estimate to show the full transfer cost before you sign.

How it works

The charges are computed on the assessed value (or sale price, whichever the Land Office applies):

transfer fee  = value × 2%
if held < 5 years:  SBT  = value × 3.3%   (stamp duty waived)
if held ≥ 5 years:  stamp duty = value × 0.5%   (SBT waived)
withholding   = value × 1%  (company)  or progressive estimate (individual)
total         = transfer fee + (SBT or stamp duty) + withholding

The five-year rule is the key switch: selling within five years swaps the cheap 0.5 percent stamp duty for the much heavier 3.3 percent SBT. For individual sellers the withholding tax is genuinely progressive with an ownership-based deduction, so the figure here is an approximation.

Example and tips

A 5,000,000 baht condo sold within five years by a company faces a 100,000 baht transfer fee, 165,000 baht SBT, and 50,000 baht withholding tax — about 315,000 baht in total. Held five years or more, the SBT drops away and only 25,000 baht stamp duty applies, cutting the total sharply. Because the Land Office uses the higher of sale price and appraised value, and the split of costs is negotiable, agree in writing who pays what before completion.