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TRIBE

Commercial Deal Check

Before you buy, check the numbers.

See your upfront cash, rental returns and holding costs—all in one place.

For offices, shops and other commercial units you can rent out. Buying one still under construction? Use the commercial payment calculator for the stage payments.

$

We treat this as the price before GST. Tick the box if your figure already includes GST, and we take it out so GST is not counted twice.

Does the sale carry GST?

GST is charged only when the seller is GST-registered (developers and many companies are; many individual owners are not). Rate: 9%, from IRAS. If you are unsure, we count it to be safe. Any GST you might claim back later is shown separately and never taken off.

Valuation and floor areaoptional
$

Stamp duty is charged on the price or the market value, whichever is higher.

sq ft

Only used to show price and rent per square foot.

Buying costs and reservefees, fit-out, cash set aside
$
$
$

Anything else you pay to complete the purchase.

$

Kept aside for empty months and repairs. Counted in the cash you need, but not as money invested.

  • Enter the purchase price.

How the numbers are worked out

Gross yield12 months of rent ÷ purchase price (before GST)
Rent receivedMonthly rent × months let
Net operating incomeRent received − owner’s running costs
Net yieldNet operating income ÷ purchase price
Cash flow after loanNet operating income − loan repayments
Cash-on-cash returnCash flow after loan ÷ cash invested (upfront cash without the reserve)
Break-even rent(Running costs + loan repayments) ÷ months let
Vacancy runwayCash reserve ÷ monthly outgoings while empty

Upfront cash is the price less the loan, buyer’s stamp duty, GST paid upfront, fees, fit-out, other buying costs and the reserve you choose to keep. The loan is repaid evenly over the tenure you enter; a 0% rate is repaid in equal parts. Empty months are the total for a year. While the unit is empty, the loan, property tax, maintenance, insurance, repairs and other costs carry on; leasing costs do not.

All returns are before income tax and leave out any rise or fall in the property’s value. The tool does not supply rents, property tax or loan terms: you type in your own, so the answer is only as good as those figures. Buying from a developer before the building is finished? The commercial payment calculator shows the stage payments and the GST on each.

Frequently asked questions

How much cash do I need to buy a commercial property in Singapore?
The price less your loan, plus buyer’s stamp duty, GST if the seller is GST-registered, legal and valuation fees, any fit-out, and a cash reserve. CPF cannot be used for commercial property, so all of it is cash. GST alone is 9% of the price, and banks lend on the price, not the GST.
What is the difference between gross and net rental yield?
Gross yield is a full year’s rent divided by the price. Net yield first takes off the months the unit is empty and the costs you pay as owner (property tax, maintenance, insurance, repairs, leasing costs), then divides by the price. Both are before the loan and before income tax.
What is cash-on-cash return?
Your yearly cash flow after loan repayments divided by the cash you actually put in. Here, cash put in is the upfront cash without the reserve, because the reserve is set aside rather than spent. If you put in no cash at all, the figure is not meaningful and the tool says so.
What stamp duty applies to commercial property?
Buyer’s stamp duty at the non-residential rates: 1% on the first S$180,000, 2% on the next S$180,000, 3% on the next S$640,000, 4% on the next S$500,000 and 5% on the rest, charged on the price or market value, whichever is higher. There is no ABSD on non-residential property. A shophouse with homes upstairs is split into residential and non-residential parts, so the tool asks for that figure from your lawyer instead of guessing.
Can I get the GST back?
Possibly. A GST-registered business can usually claim GST on a non-residential property it uses to make taxable supplies, subject to IRAS conditions. The tool counts the GST as cash you pay upfront and shows any possible claim separately; it never assumes you will get it back.
Does it work for industrial property or shophouses?
You can run the numbers, but the tool flags them for a separate check. Industrial units can be limited in who may rent them and how much can be sublet, and Seller’s Stamp Duty can apply on a sale within three years. Shophouses with homes upstairs follow residential rules for the home part.

Sources

Tax rules last checked against IRAS on 19 October 2026.

Next step

Disclaimer

The tools on this page provide estimates for general reference only and do not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Calculations are based on prevailing MAS, IRAS, HDB, and CPF rules and rates at the time of publication, which may change without notice. Actual figures — including loan eligibility, interest rates, stamp duties, and CPF usage — depend on your specific circumstances and the final assessment of banks, IRAS, and other relevant authorities. TRIBE makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any output and accepts no liability for decisions made in reliance on these tools. Please verify all figures with the relevant institutions or a qualified professional before committing to any transaction.