Decoupling is a way to have a second property in the family (albeit under individual names), without having to pay the Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD). That’s especially tempting in the current property market, where ABSD rates are at 20 per cent. However, decoupling isn’t well understood by some – as are the consequences of a 99-1 split. Here’s what you need to know: First, if your current property is an HDB flat, none of this may help you All the information below pertains to the decoupling of private properties. HDB doesn’t allow decoupling except under special circumstances, such as a divorce. If you’ve heard of people decoupling with their flats in the past, it’s because this was possible before 4th May 2016, after which HDB closed the loophole. If you’re confident your reasons for decoupling are justified though, you can still write an appeal to HDB (we suggest you ask your realtor to do this for you). What is decoupling?...