Syria Property Tax Update 2026: the prevailing-value base and the bank-deposit rule
Law No. 15 of 2021 put the tax on the prevailing value, and its foundational explainer lives in another article. Here is what is reported in 2026 about easing the bank-deposit condition, and what to settle before you sign.
Most buyers ask one question when they hear about an amendment: does this apply to me before I sign? In 2026 the Syrian property market is discussing an easing of the bank-deposit condition, while the prevailing-value base introduced by Law No. 15 of 2021 remains the basis on which the tax is calculated. This is a news update, not a foundational explainer. It sets out what changed, what did not, and what you should settle before you commit. The full explanation of the law is in our article on property sales tax.
What changed and what did not
Law No. 15 of 2021 moved the tax calculation from an old assessment base dating to 1997 onto the prevailing value of the property unit, a value set by committees and fixed on electronic maps using a geographic information system, adjustable by no more than a quarter of the value up or down according to the unit’s specifications. That structural change is the durable one, and the old base has not returned.
What appears in 2026 is news of procedural relief, not a return to the 1997 base. The distinction matters: the relief concerns how part of the value is paid, while the tax itself stays on the prevailing value.
If you want us to check the tax line in your deal before you sign, send us the property type and the price you agreed through Request a property, and we will set out what it implies.
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The rates commonly cited under the law
These are the commonly cited rates for Law No. 15 of 2021, as carried by property sources. We report them as they stand. The sources listed at the end carry the rates; they do not issue them.
| Property type | Commonly cited rate |
|---|---|
| Residential property | 1% |
| Non-residential property | 3% |
| Land inside the approved regulated zone | 2% |
| Land outside the approved regulated zone | 1% |
| Roofs on residential property | 1% |
| Gift and obligatory bequest to parents, children and spouses | 15% of the base rate |
The tax is calculated on the prevailing value of the unit, not on the price the two of you agree if they differ. That gap alone can change the amount of the deal, and it is the first thing we verify with you.
The bank-deposit condition: what is reported in 2026
The law introduced a condition requiring a share of the property’s value to be paid through banks. In 2026 Syrian property outlets, among them Shamvision, have reported that this condition was eased or removed as a stimulus measure.
To be plain: those are specialised media reports, not a legal text we can verify here. Treat them as changeable information and confirm the current status at the finance directorate or the relevant bank before relying on it.
What stays true in every case is that documenting the payment protects you. Whatever the condition, a bank transfer in your name and the seller’s name remains the strongest evidence of the price you paid if a dispute arises later.
Seven steps in order, over three pages: what to check before you pay, what to get in writing, and the stop signs.
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Request a propertyDevelopment-project exemptions: Law No. 18 and Decree No. 114
Beyond the sales tax, there is legislation aimed at the investor rather than the individual buyer. Imtilak, a secondary property source, reports that Investment Law No. 18 of 2021 and its later amendments, including Decree No. 114 of 2025, exempt the machinery and equipment needed to carry out real-estate development and investment projects from customs and financial fees, give the state the power to allocate land to investors, and set a thirty-day deadline to process licensing through a one-stop shop. It adds that Law No. 6 of 2022 reduced the sustainable-development contribution fee to 10%.
These provisions do not set your tax when you buy an apartment, but they explain why development cost and sale prices move. Anyone following an off-plan deal benefits from knowing them; a buyer of a ready unit is affected through supply rather than through the exemption itself.
What to do before you sign
- Request the prevailing value of the unit from the finance directorate; do not build your numbers on an advertised market price.
- Establish the financial description of the property: residential or non-residential, land inside or outside the regulated zone, a unit or a roof.
- Ask about the current status of the bank-deposit condition at the date of sale, not the date you read this.
- Document every payment in your name and the seller’s name; do not hand over cash without a receipt.
- Check the exchange-rate effect on the agreed price if the deal is in a currency other than the lira, which we cover in how much a house costs in Syria.
Why we check the tax line before signature
In a sale contract the price is written down, and the tax is calculated on a value that may differ from it. A buyer who signs without knowing that gap discovers it at the transfer or when the fees fall due, by which point the commitment is made. We review these points with the buyer before signature, because catching the tax before you commit saves you a later dispute.
We hold no inventory: we work as the buyer’s agent. A source on the ground finds the property you want, and you review the paperwork with him from where you are. The wider explanation of the service is in the property contract checklist.
Common questions
Was the property sales tax in Syria abolished in 2026?
No. Law No. 15 of 2021 and the prevailing-value base it introduced remain in place. What is reported in 2026 concerns easing the bank-deposit condition, and it is a media report rather than a legal text we can verify.
Is the condition to deposit the property’s value in a bank still in force?
Property outlets report in 2026 that it was eased or removed. These are secondary reports not confirmed in our sources, so confirm the current status at the finance directorate or the bank before committing.
What is the property sales tax rate in Syria?
The commonly cited rates under the law: 1% residential, 3% non-residential, land 2% inside the regulated zone and 1% outside it, roofs 1%, and 15% of the base rate for gifts to parents, children and spouses, calculated on the prevailing value.
Is the tax calculated on the price I paid or on another value?
On the approved prevailing value of the unit, which may differ from your agreed price. That is why we verify the financial description and the value before signature.
Does this article count as tax advice?
No. It is general information from published sources. The authority for application is the finance directorate and the competent body.
- General Commission for Taxes and Fees in Syria, Law No. 15 of 2021 (the official authority for application).
- Imtilak, Syria real-estate investment laws, secondary source: https://www.imtilak.sy/en/articles/real-estate-investment-laws-syria
- Shamvision, secondary property news outlet: https://www.shamvision.com/
- Elmas, property sales tax, Arabic deep-dive: /blog/dariba-albuyu-alaqariya/
- General information, not tax or legal advice. Elmas is not a tax authority and does not issue regulations.
- The rates and exemptions are taken from published sources, some of them secondary, and may change. Confirm the rule in force with the finance directorate or the competent authority before any commitment.
- The reported easing of the bank-deposit condition is media reporting, not a confirmed legal text in our sources.
- We hold no property inventory and work on your request.
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