Home › Buying and selling costs › Stamp duty
Stamp duty in the city centre: what my KLCC, Bukit Bintang and TRX buyers end up paying
Rules checked against official sources on .
Quick answer
On a RM1.2 million condo in the city centre, a Malaysian or a PR pays RM32,000 on the transfer and a foreign buyer pays RM96,000. The loan agreement adds 0.5% of your loan. Want me to run the figure on the unit you are looking at? WhatsApp me at +60108278932.
I can run these numbers for your own situation. WhatsApp me at +60 17-880 2526.
I sell homes around KLCC, Pavilion and the Tun Razak Exchange, and stamp duty is usually the second question I get, right after the price. Below are the sums I walk my own buyers through, on round numbers that fit this part of town. Plug in your own price at the end.
First, which group are you in?
| Who is buying | How the transfer is stamped |
|---|---|
| Malaysian citizen | Four tiers: 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% |
| Permanent resident | Same four tiers as a citizen |
| Foreigner or foreign company | Flat 8% on a home, from 1 January 2026 |
The tiers: 1% up to RM100,000, 2% from RM100,001 to RM500,000, 3% from RM500,001 to RM1,000,000, 4% above RM1,000,000. Each rate applies only to the slice of the price inside that band.
The 8% comes from the Finance Act 2025 (Act 874), which amended the Stamp Act 1949. It is charged on the price or the market value, and the higher one counts. Every slice of the price is taxed at that same 8%, so there is no lower band at the bottom.
Four city-centre price points, side by side
| Price | Malaysian or PR | Foreign buyer (8%) |
|---|---|---|
| RM800,000 | RM18,000 | RM64,000 |
| RM1,200,000 | RM32,000 | RM96,000 |
| RM2,000,000 | RM64,000 | RM160,000 |
| RM3,000,000 | RM104,000 | RM240,000 |
Round example prices, not a quote on any project. Duty is on the higher of your price and the market value.
Look at the RM1.2 million row. My Malaysian client pays RM1,000 on the first RM100,000, RM8,000 on the next RM400,000, RM15,000 on the next RM500,000 and RM8,000 on the last RM200,000. That adds up to RM32,000, under 2.7% of the price. A foreign client on the same unit pays RM96,000, three times as much.
Questions my buyers actually ask
“I am a PR. Do I pay the foreigner rate?”
No. The 8% is for buyers who are neither citizens nor permanent residents. With a PR you use the same four tiers as a Malaysian.
“The bank valued it higher than my price. Which number is used?”
The higher one. If you agree RM1.5 million and the market value is put at RM1.6 million, the duty is worked out on RM1.6 million.
“I am a foreigner. Is there anything else before the transfer?”
Two things. In Kuala Lumpur the lowest price a foreigner may buy at is RM1,000,000, so every row in my table above clears it. And a foreign purchase needs consent from the land authority, which I build into the timeline from day one.
“Is the housing loan stamped too?”
Yes, separately from the transfer: 0.5% of your loan. The rate is the same whether you are a citizen or a foreigner.
First home? Here is where the city centre stands
Right now a Malaysian citizen who has never owned a home pays no stamp duty on the transfer or the loan for one home up to RM500,000. The sale and purchase agreement has to be signed between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2027. The extension to 2027 is P.U.(A) 448/2025.
Owning a home before means any home, also one held jointly or received by inheritance or as a gift. In my area few units are priced at RM500,000 or less, so most of my first-home clients pay the normal tiers.
Budget 2027 has a proposal that would change this. It is only a proposal until the Finance Bill passes. For agreements signed from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2030, a first home up to RM500,000 would be fully exempt on the transfer and the loan. For a first home up to RM750,000, the first RM500,000 would be fully exempt and the rest 50% exempt. On a RM700,000 first home, the transfer duty would fall from RM15,000 to about RM3,000. Please do not plan your budget on it until it is law.
Run your own number
My buying-costs calculator works out the stamp duty on your price and your loan, together with the legal fees. If you send me the unit you are looking at, I will check the figure with you before you sign.
Open the buying-costs calculator →
Questions
Do permanent residents pay the 8% stamp duty?
No. The 8% applies to buyers who are neither citizens nor PRs. A PR pays the four citizen tiers.
How much stamp duty does a foreigner pay on a RM2 million condo in KL?
RM160,000, which is 8% of the price or the market value, whichever is higher. The purchase also needs consent from the land authority.
Is the first-home exemption still available?
Yes, for one home up to RM500,000 with the agreement signed by 31 December 2027. The wider relief up to RM750,000 is a Budget 2027 proposal, not law yet.
How much is the stamp duty on the loan agreement?
0.5% of your loan.
Official sources
- Finance Act 2025 (Act 874), section 29: 8% on residential transfers to foreigners
- Stamp Duty (Exemption) 2021 (Amendment) Order 2025, P.U.(A) 448/2025
- Budget 2027 speech, paragraph 56 (proposal) — Ministry of Finance
Legal feesRPGTForeigner minimum price by stateLoan eligibility calculatorProgressive payment scheduleGlossaryAll three in one calculator