Trinidad & Tobago’s Stamp Duty tiers haven’t shifted, but the real estate market has moved dramatically.
In September 2024, Terra Caribbean’s CEO, Jean Paul de Meillac, highlighted a critical issue:
Stamp Duty in T&T is based on property values that no longer exist. Today, the data remains unchanged.
Key points he raises in this new video:
- The 0% Stamp Duty band ends at $850,000, while actual entry-level residential prices are significantly higher.
- Because the middle tiers are so narrow, most ordinary homes enter the 7.5% band far earlier than intended.
- This misalignment continues to affect buyers, sellers, and developers, tightening affordability and slowing supply.
What has shifted is awareness:
More participants across the market are acknowledging the disconnect between the tax tiers and present-day price realities.
But as de Meillac explains, awareness without structural change isn’t enough.
Adjusting the Stamp Duty bands isn’t about reducing tax revenue, it’s about ensuring the system supports:
- Realistic affordability
- Viable development
- A healthy flow of renovation and construction activity
- A more functional and resilient property market
In this video, he outlines what has changed, what hasn’t, and why modernization of the Stamp Duty framework is essential for the future of housing in Trinidad & Tobago.
