Is GST Payable on a Golden Mile Office, and Can a Company Claim It Back?

Published 7 October 2026

The Short Answer for The Golden Mile

Yes, GST at 9% is payable on the purchase price of a strata office or medical suite at The Golden Mile, because the developer is GST-registered. A company may be able to recover it as input tax, depending on whether it is GST-registered and carrying on taxable business; the position is subject to the rules set by IRAS.

Figures in this article are as at October 2026.

How GST Is Charged at The Golden Mile

On a building under construction, GST is not a single payment at the end. It is charged on each instalment of the payment scheme as that instalment falls due, starting with the 5% option fee and the balance of the first 20% over the first eight weeks, then each construction stage, TOP and completion.

GST is paid in cash. Banks lend against the purchase price, not the GST, so a buyer at 80% or 90% loan-to-value still funds the GST on every instalment from its own resources. The purchase calculator shows the GST alongside each instalment; on the illustrative $3,000,000 it totals $270,000 across the purchase.

Operating Companies at The Golden Mile

The general guideline is that an operating company, GST-registered and already making taxable supplies, may claim the GST it pays on a Golden Mile unit as input tax as the GST is incurred through construction, where the unit is used for its taxable business. In that case the GST is a cash-flow item rather than a cost.

Non-Operating Companies at The Golden Mile

A non-operating company, such as a newly incorporated vehicle or an investment-holding company not yet carrying on taxable activities, would not usually begin claiming during construction. The guideline is that claims may instead start once the property reaches TOP and taxable activities commence, for example leasing the unit to a tenant or operating a business from it.

The position cannot be determined from the outside and depends on the facts of each buyer. It is subject to the rules set by IRAS, and a buyer should confirm it with IRAS or a tax adviser before committing.

A Worked Example at The Golden Mile

On the illustrative $3,000,000 used on this site’s calculators, GST across the purchase is $270,000. Of that, $54,000 falls due on the first 20% of the price within the first eight weeks, alongside the option fee, the balance downpayment, Buyer’s Stamp Duty of $119,600 and the legal fee. The remaining $216,000 is spread across the construction stages, TOP and completion, in proportion to each instalment.

For an operating company that can recover it, the GST is a timing difference between payment and refund. For a buyer that cannot, it is part of the cost of the unit. Either way it is paid in cash, so it belongs in the cash-flow plan from the start. The figure of $3,000,000 is an illustration, not a unit price.

Planning Around GST at The Golden Mile

Because the treatment depends on the buyer, the choice of purchasing entity is worth settling before an option is taken. A business that will operate from the unit through a GST-registered company is in a different position from an individual or a holding company that will lease the unit out, and IRAS guidance or a tax adviser can confirm which applies.

The purchase calculator shows the GST on every instalment, and the Sales Concierge can walk through the schedule for The Golden Mile at a sales gallery appointment.

The purchase calculator shows the GST at every stage of the schedule for any price entered, and the stamp duty calculator gives the Buyer’s Stamp Duty on the price before GST. Running both at the price on the developer’s list gives the full cash picture before an option is taken.

Duty Alongside GST at The Golden Mile

Buyer’s Stamp Duty is assessed on the price before GST, on the commercial scale up to 5%; there is no Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty and no Seller’s Stamp Duty. The stamp duty and GST page and the stamp duty calculator set out the bands for The Golden Mile.