Buying property is not just a price and a signature. The document that transfers it is itself taxed, and the buyer is the one who pays.
The rate, and who pays it
Stamp duty on a property transfer is 1.5%. The buyer, named in the law as the transferee, pays it, not the seller.
The exemption for a lower-value property
A property below a set value is exempt from this duty entirely, under the same Ninth Schedule item that sets the rate above. Confirm the current threshold with an adviser, the stamp duty office, or the government fees tool before assuming a specific property qualifies.
The exemption inside a group of companies
A transfer between associated companies can also be exempt. This applies where the companies share at least 90% common shareholding and duty was already paid when the property was first bought.
This matters for a group that moves property between subsidiaries for internal reasons, rather than selling it to an outside buyer. Keep the paperwork from the original purchase, including proof that duty was paid then, since that record is what supports the exemption later.
How this differs from leasing the same property
Buying a property and leasing one are two different transactions, taxed differently. This duty applies to an outright transfer of ownership.
A lease of the same property is a separate, ongoing right to use it, and carries its own stamp duty rate instead.
The 30-day stamping deadline
The transfer document should be stamped within 30 days of signing. This is the same general deadline that applies to most dutiable documents, not a special rule for property.
What happens if it is never stamped
An unstamped transfer document carries its own risk beyond the duty itself. Our piece on unstamped documents covers what an unstamped document cannot do for you later, including in court.
A quick example
A company buying an office property for ₦80 million, for example, above the exemption threshold, would pay stamp duty of 1.5% of that price, stamped within 30 days of the transfer document being signed.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the seller pays. The buyer is named as liable in the law.
- Missing the group-company exemption's condition. The 90% shareholding threshold and the earlier duty payment both have to be true together.
- Leaving the transfer document unstamped past 30 days. The deadline is the same one that applies to any other dutiable document.
For stamp duty on renting rather than buying, read stamp duty on a tenancy agreement. For the wider law this duty sits inside, see the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 explained, and browse the hub on the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), formerly FIRS, and Rev360 for more. Check the current rate any time on the government fees tool.