Hong Kong property taxes and stamp duty for non-residents: what you pay to buy, let and sell

Hong Kong is one of the few places where buying property costs a lot up front and almost nothing afterwards in tax: no capital-gains tax, no inheritance tax, and a property tax that applies only to rent. That picture is simple, but the details move. In 2024 the extra stamp duties for foreigners were scrapped, and in 2026 the top band was raised. This article lists the costs in the order you meet them and says plainly where we could not confirm a figure. It is general information, not tax advice. Rates change, so check each item with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), a Hong Kong solicitor and your own tax adviser. For the purchase process see our Hong Kong buying guide.

When you buy: ad valorem stamp duty

Until February 2024 a foreign buyer could pay a Buyer's Stamp Duty on top, and nearly everyone paid extra stamp duties of one kind or another. That ended. According to the IRD and to summaries by Deloitte, DLA Piper and Alvarez & Marsal, the Special, Buyer's and New Residential Stamp Duties no longer apply to agreements signed on or after 28 February 2024. Every buyer of a residential property now pays only ad valorem stamp duty (AVD) at the Scale 2 rates, whether or not they are a permanent resident and whether or not they already own property.

• The scale is progressive. The lowest band is a flat HK$100, the middle bands rise step by step, and the top bands reach 4.25%.
• The exact band limits depend on the source. Summaries of the 2024 rules put the flat HK$100 band at up to HK$3 million, while a summary of the 2026-27 Budget tables shows it up to HK$4 million. We could not open the IRD table, so we do not print bands. Use the IRD stamp duty calculator for your price.
• For the most expensive homes the rate changed. A Government proposal in the 2026-27 Budget raised the rate for residential property above HK$100 million from 4.25% to 6.5%, with effect from 26 February 2026. The Standard reports that the Legislative Council passed the bill. The Government says only about 0.3% of the highest-priced residential transactions are affected, so most buyers will not notice it.
• Stamp duty is a legal obligation tied to the agreement for sale and purchase. Your solicitor normally deals with stamping and tells you the amount before you sign.

Other costs at purchase

• Agent commission. The law sets no fixed rate. The usual figure quoted by agencies is 1% of the price. For a resale, one guide says the seller pays the same 1%. For a new flat from a developer, the developer normally pays the commission.
• Legal fees. Sources differ widely. One guide gives a range from about 0.075% to 0.125% of the price, another about 0.1%, and an older table shows 1%. Ask your solicitor for a fixed quote in writing.
• Mortgage and registration costs. We did not find a reliable figure for the Land Registry fee, so we do not state one. Loan-to-value limits and how non-residents borrow are in our mortgage guide for non-residents.

While you own it: rates, government rent and property tax

Three different charges can land on the owner each year, and people often confuse them.

• Rates. This is a local charge based on the rateable value of the flat, not on what you paid. For 2026-27 the Government kept the percentages: 5% of the rateable value for a domestic flat with a rateable value up to HK$550,000, 8% on the next HK$250,000 and 12% on any part above HK$800,000. A concession on rates was proposed for the first two quarters of 2026-27, capped at HK$500 per quarter for each property. Who pays rates, the owner or the occupier, depends on the situation, so read the demand and your tenancy.
• Government rent. Where it applies, it is 3% of the rateable value. It is tied to land held under a Government lease, and some leases fix an amount instead. Demands are issued in early April.
• Property tax on rent. If you let the flat, property tax is 15% of the net assessable value. The IRD sets the standard rate at 15% for the years 2020/21 to 2026/27. The net assessable value is your rent after irrecoverable rent and after rates you paid as owner, less an automatic 20% allowance for repairs and outgoings. Actual management and renovation costs are not deducted separately. Property tax is chargeable whether you are a Hong Kong resident or not, and we found no separate non-resident rate.

An illustration, with invented round numbers: if a year's rent were HK$300,000 with no irrecoverable rent and no rates paid by the owner, the net assessable value would be HK$240,000 after the 20% allowance and the tax at 15% would be HK$36,000. The rules (15% and 20%) come from the IRD; the rent figure is only an example. If you buy and sell property as a business rather than to live in or let, the profits can fall under a different tax, so ask an adviser before you plan a quick resale.

When you sell or pass it on

Hong Kong has no capital-gains tax. It has no estate duty for deaths since 2006 either, according to Government budget papers, and a 2026 practice guide adds that there is no inheritance or gift tax. That means a gain on a resale is not taxed in Hong Kong as such, and passing the flat to heirs does not trigger a Hong Kong transfer tax. Stamp duty applies to the buyer, not to you as seller, and the 2024 resale-period stamp duty for sellers no longer applies. Your home country may still tax the gain or the inheritance: see inheritance and gift tax on property abroad.

Hong Kong and your home-country tax

Hong Kong taxes property only on a territorial basis: rent from a Hong Kong flat is taxed in Hong Kong. Whether your country taxes the same rent again depends on the treaty between the two places. The IRD publishes a table of the comprehensive double tax agreements Hong Kong has concluded. When we opened it, it listed 59 jurisdictions and Poland was not among them. The page showed no date, so check the current table. Without a treaty, relief for tax paid in Hong Kong depends on the rules of the country where you are tax resident. A Polish tax resident should not assume a treaty applies; read tax on foreign rental income for Polish residents and ask a Polish tax adviser. For a comparison with mainland China see our China property taxes guide, and for the full set of guides see the China and Hong Kong hub.

Mistakes to avoid

• Relying on pre-2024 guides. Many still describe a 15% Buyer's Stamp Duty for foreigners. It no longer applies.
• Confusing rates, government rent and property tax. They are three separate charges.
• Assuming a treaty. Check the IRD table and your own country's rules before you plan on tax relief.
• Taking an agent's quoted legal fee as final. Get a written quote.

FAQ

Do foreigners pay more stamp duty in Hong Kong now? No. Since 28 February 2024 the extra stamp duties are gone and everyone pays the same ad valorem scale, according to the IRD and professional summaries. Confirm the current scale with your solicitor.

Is there tax when I sell at a profit? Not as a capital gain in Hong Kong. If the activity looks like trading, profits can be taxed differently, so ask an adviser. Your home country may tax the gain.

Do I pay property tax if I live abroad? Yes, if you receive rent from a Hong Kong property, whether you are a resident or not. A flat you keep empty does not produce rent to tax.

What this means for a normal buyer

• Budget for stamp duty at the Scale 2 rates and use the IRD calculator for the exact figure.
• Budget annually for rates and, where it applies, government rent, and 15% property tax on net rent if you let.
• Do not count on a Polish tax treaty: Poland is not on the IRD list we saw.
• Get a written quote for legal fees and clarify who pays the agent.
• Take advice in both countries before you sign.

If you want to compare Hong Kong with other markets, an independent buyer-side adviser can help and bring in a local solicitor. D.H. Realting works from Warsaw as an independent consultant; ask us how we are paid, as you would ask anyone.