How to Find the Annual Value (AV) of a Property in Singapore
Where to check annual value on IRAS, what it means, and what agents should verify before discussing property tax.
To find a property’s annual value in Singapore, owners should check IRAS myTax Portal, while agents should use IRAS’s annual value search route for properties they do not own. Use AV as a property tax reference point, not as market value or actual rent, and verify the address and assessment period before discussing holding costs.
If you own the property, the fastest official place to check annual value is IRAS myTax Portal. If you are an agent checking a unit you do not own, use IRAS’s annual value search route for property professionals instead. Annual value, or AV, is IRAS’s estimate of a property’s gross annual rent for tax purposes, so do not confuse it with market value, purchase price, or the exact rent stated in a tenancy agreement.
What is annual value in Singapore, in plain English?
Annual value is IRAS’s estimate of a property’s gross annual rent for tax purposes. It is not market value, purchase price, or the rent actually collected.
Annual value (AV) is IRAS’s estimate of the gross annual rent a property could earn if it were rented out, excluding furniture, furnishings, and maintenance fees. It is a tax benchmark, not a resale price or valuation figure.
A simple line agents can reuse is: "Annual value is the rental estimate IRAS uses for tax, not what the unit sold for."
Here is the easiest way to separate the terms in a client conversation:
| Term | What it means | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|
| Annual value | IRAS’s estimated gross annual rent | Property tax assessment |
| Market value | What the property may sell for in the market | Pricing, valuation, sale discussions |
| Actual rent | What the tenant is paying under the lease | Cash flow and rental income discussion |
If a client compares AV with the rent in the tenancy agreement, explain that the figures can differ without either one being wrong. For example, a landlord may accept below-market rent for a stable long-term tenant, while IRAS’s AV remains based on its broader rental assessment of comparable properties. For a broader overview, see Singapore Property Tax and Ownership Costs: A Practical Guide for Agents.
Where can you find the annual value of your property?
Owners should check IRAS myTax Portal or the owner annual value page. Agents checking a property they do not own should use IRAS’s annual value search route for property professionals.
Owners should start with IRAS because that is the most direct official source for their own property record. In practice, that usually means checking through IRAS myTax Portal or the owner services referenced on IRAS’s annual value page.
If you are an agent checking a property you do not own, use IRAS’s route for real estate and housing agents to find out annual values. That is safer than relying on listing portals, WhatsApp screenshots, or a client’s memory of an old tax notice.
Practical takeaway: use a current IRAS record first, then verify the address and assessment period before you say anything about tax or holding costs. If you need the bigger picture after locating the AV, see Singapore Property Tax and Ownership Costs: A Practical Guide for Agents. For a broader overview, see How to Check Your Property Tax Bill on IRAS.
How do you check annual value using IRAS step by step?
Check the official IRAS record first, then confirm the exact address and assessment period before using the annual value in any tax discussion.
- ✓First decide whether you are checking your own property or someone else’s property
- ✓If you are the owner, log in to IRAS with Singpass through myTax Portal
- ✓Open the property record or annual value view shown in the owner services
- ✓Match the full property address and unit details before noting any figure
- ✓Check the assessment period or date shown, so you do not use an outdated AV
- ✓Save or record the AV only after confirming it is the latest official figure on IRAS
- ✓If you are not the owner, use IRAS’s annual value search route for property professionals instead of relying on a screenshot
- ✓If the non-owner search route is chargeable, confirm the current terms on IRAS before using it
How should an agent interpret the annual value once it is found?
Annual value is the base figure used in property tax assessment, but it is not the tax bill itself. Occupancy status and the current tax framework still matter.
Treat AV as the starting point for a property tax conversation, not the final tax bill. IRAS uses AV as the base figure, but the actual property tax outcome still depends on the current tax framework and how the property is treated, such as owner-occupied or non-owner-occupied.
A useful agent mindset is: same AV does not always mean same tax bill.
For example, two homes could have the same AV, but their tax treatment may differ if one is owner-occupied and the other is rented out. That is why AV is useful for framing holding costs, but not enough on its own to quote a final number.
If a landlord wants a quick sense check, you can say: "This is the IRAS annual value, which is the tax base. The final tax amount still depends on the current tax treatment." For the next step in that explanation, see Owner-Occupier vs Non-Owner-Occupier Property Tax in Singapore and Property Tax When You Rent Out Your Flat or Condo.
What is the biggest mistake clients make when they look at annual value?
The most common mistake is confusing annual value with actual rent or market value. AV is a tax estimate, not a resale or lease number.
They treat annual value as if it must match either the property’s actual rent or its market value. It does not. AV is a standardized tax estimate, so it can sit above or below a specific lease amount.
The clean correction line is: "Your AV is the tax estimate, not your exact rent.". For a broader overview, see Property Tax When You Rent Out Your Flat or Condo.
What should you verify before advising on expected property tax?
Verify the IRAS source, the exact unit, the assessment period, and the property’s tax treatment before saying anything about expected property tax.
Before you comment on property tax, verify four things:
- the source is an official IRAS record
- the address and unit are correct
- the assessment period or date shown is current
- the property’s tax treatment has not been assumed wrongly
This is where agents most often slip. A client sends an old screenshot, the AV looks reasonable, and the conversation moves too quickly into tax estimates. That is risky because the screenshot may be dated, from the wrong unit, or missing the context needed to tell whether the property is being treated as owner-occupied or not.
A safer client reply is: "I can use this as a starting point, but let me match it against the live IRAS record before I comment on the expected tax." If the next step is the actual tax bill, point them to How to Check Your Property Tax Bill on IRAS and the current IRAS property tax rates. Do not quote any specific rate unless you have confirmed the current official source.
When might the annual value on record differ from what the owner expects?
Annual value can differ from the owner’s expectations because it is an assessed estimate, not a live lease figure. Start by verifying the current IRAS record before assuming the number is wrong.
AV often surprises owners because it is an assessed rental estimate, not a live copy of the latest tenancy agreement. In practice, differences usually show up in a few common situations:
- the lease was signed in a different rental market
- the owner accepted below-market rent for speed or tenant stability
- the owner is looking at an older IRAS record or notice
- the property has unusual features that make comparisons less intuitive
A useful line for agents is: surprise does not equal error.
If the number looks too high or too low, do not jump straight to a conclusion. First confirm the current IRAS record and the correct assessment period. If the property is mixed-use, atypical, or otherwise hard to compare with standard homes, advise the owner to verify the assessment directly with IRAS before using the AV for any holding-cost decision.
How can an agent explain annual value to a client without overpromising on tax outcomes?
Use annual value as a factual reference point, not a promise of the final tax bill. Explain the AV first, then confirm the tax treatment separately.
Keep the explanation factual and narrow. Tell the client that annual value is IRAS’s rental-based estimate used for property tax, but the final tax amount depends on the current tax framework and the property’s status.
A safe client-ready script is:
"I can help you find the AV and do a rough holding-cost sense check. But the exact property tax still needs to be confirmed against the current IRAS rules and how the property is treated."
This works especially well when the client is comparing scenarios, such as staying in the unit versus renting it out. In those cases, the key point is not just the AV. It is whether the tax treatment changes even if the AV does not. For that comparison, send them to Owner-Occupier vs Non-Owner-Occupier Property Tax in Singapore.
Is annual value the same as the rent my client collects?
No. Annual value is an IRAS tax estimate, while rental income is the actual rent collected under the lease.
No. Annual value is IRAS’s estimate of the property’s gross annual rent for tax purposes, while rental income is the actual amount received under the tenancy agreement.
That difference matters in real conversations. A landlord may collect less than the AV-based estimate because they prioritised a fast lease or gave better terms to keep a reliable tenant. The reverse can also happen if the market moved after IRAS’s assessment. For agents, the takeaway is simple: use AV for property tax context, and use the lease for cash flow context. Do not swap one for the other when advising a client.
