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Stamp Duty

The payment of Stamp Duty is a joint liability of all parties to a document unless the Law specifically directs otherwise.Whilst a document may direct a specific party to pay, this is a private obligation which cannot be enforced by a third party (ie. Cayman Islands Government), and hence all parties should ensure that Stamp Duty requirements are complied with. We reserve the right to recover Stamp Duty from each and any party to a document.

 

The Minister of Finance is the Commissioner of Stamp Duty.  The Minister of Finance has delegated responsibility to the Lands & Survey Department  for the Assessment and Collection of collection of Stamp Duty on all documents relating to immovable property (real estate), in accordance with the Stamp Duty Law (2019 Revision) (PDF, 760 Kb, 36 pages). Real Estate documents which attract Stamp Duty include, but are not limited to;

 


For further information on the Stamp Duty payable and details relating to a specific transaction, please click on a Transaction Type above.

Stamp Duty is payable upon execution of the document, and should be presented to the Lands & Survey Department immediately thereafter. Outstanding Stamp Duty on a number of documents will attract interest if not submitted and stamped within 45 days of execution. We will not include any periods where we are holding your documents for assessment within this 45 day period, however it will recommence after we have notified you of an amount of Duty outstanding.

 

Further Information

Exemptions

Transactions where the Cayman Islands Civil Service Association Co-operative Credit Union are a party (or any other Credit Union under the Cooperative Societies Law) are exempt from Stamp Duty.

Frequent Questions: Stamp Duty

Click to see responses to each FAQ.

Stamp Duty is payable on the higher of the consideration (the amount you pay) or the Market Value. The Lands & Survey Department has a team of experienced Chartered Valuation Surveyors who automatically assess the Market Value of all property sales within the Cayman Islands. Should your property be worth more than you are paying for it one of our Surveyors will contact you to request further information, or notify you of the re-assessment value.


Interests in property held in the name of a Company do not qualify for reduced rates of Stamp Duty, regardless of the ownership of the company.


The rate of Duty will depend on the location and whether the purchaser is Caymanian. Further alterations will depend on whether a Caymanian is purchasing property for owner occupation for the first time, based on the Purchase Price / Market Value (whichever is higher). Further details can be found here.


Yes. Click here for further details, and please note that under the Law financial penalties exist for late registration of Leases.


Depending on where the property you purchase is located you may be eligible to a reduced rate of Stamp Duty. , however. When you submit your documents to Lands & Survey you must provide specific Notorised evidence that you qualify for the reduced rate (see Caymanian Status Evidence)


You may qualify for a reduced rate of Stamp Duty, but only when the land or property is for your first owner occupied dwelling, and providing that the Market Value is below certain CI$ thresholds. To benefit from the waiver you need to apply to the Minister of Finance's office at the Government Administration Building (Glass House) before purchasing the property.


For undeveloped Land, a total waiver of Duty applies for purchases with a Consideration / Market Value (whichever is higher) up to CI $100,000. A reduced rate of Duty applies for purchases up to CI $150,000.
For Houses, apartments and other dwellings, a total waiver of Duty applies for purchases with a Consideration / Market Value (whichever is higher) up to CI $300,000. A reduced rate of Duty applies for purchases up to CI $400,000.
The rates of Duty applicable can be found here.