Property Taxes

Buying or selling property in Thailand involves several government fees and taxes collected at the Land Office when ownership is transferred. Knowing what these are, broadly, helps buyers and sellers budget properly and negotiate who pays what.

The Main Categories

• Transfer fee – a fee charged by the Land Department on the registered value of the property at the time of transfer.
• Specific business tax – typically applies when a property is sold within a shorter holding period, and is generally not charged if the standard stamp duty applies instead.
• Stamp duty – applies instead of specific business tax in cases where the seller has held the property for longer or otherwise qualifies for an exemption from that tax.
• Withholding tax – an advance tax on the seller’s gain, calculated differently depending on whether the seller is an individual or a company.

Who Pays What

Thai practice generally treats most of these transfer-time costs as negotiable between buyer and seller, and it is common for them to be split by agreement rather than fixed by law in every case. This should be agreed and written into the sale and purchase agreement well before the transfer date, so there are no surprises at the Land Office.

Ongoing Property Taxes

Beyond the one-off transfer taxes, Thailand also levies an annual land and building tax on property owners, with different treatment depending on how the property is used (for example, as a primary residence, a rental, or vacant land). Rates, exemptions, and thresholds for all of the taxes mentioned above are set by regulation and can change, so we deliberately have not quoted specific percentages or figures on this page.

Because tax rates, exemptions, and thresholds change and depend on your exact circumstances, please confirm current figures with our team or a licensed Thai accountant or lawyer before agreeing a sale price or signing a contract.