GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — Buyers of high-value property in the Cayman Islands will pay 10 per cent stamp duty from 1 January 2026, up from 7.5 per cent, after Parliament approved the increase on 12 December 2025.
The higher rate applies to land and property valued at CI$2 million or more, whether developed or not. Finance and Economic Development Minister Rolston Anglin first announced the change on 14 November and steered the bill through Parliament in December; the accompanying regulations were approved on 15 December, according to the Cabinet Office and the Cayman Compass.
A matching amendment to the Land Holding Companies Share Transfer Tax Act applies the same 10 per cent rate to transfers of shares in companies holding property worth CI$2 million or more, closing off the option of buying the company that owns the land instead of the land itself. The government projects the change will raise about CI$11.7 million in 2026 and CI$11.2 million in 2027. One percentage point of the increase is earmarked for affordable housing for Caymanians, which the Compass estimated at roughly $4.7 million a year.
Realtors told the Compass they were not worried about the long-term effect. RE/MAX broker Kim Lund said some buyers had closed quickly “because they want to lock in the 7.5% rate.” Andrew Gilbert, who chairs the local Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors group, said he expected little lasting impact on international demand.
What it means
Analysis: On a CI$2 million home, the change adds about CI$50,000 to closing costs. Because share transfers are now taxed at the same rate, there is no longer a structural way around it. Earmarking part of the revenue for Caymanian affordable housing ties the luxury market directly to local housing supply.
Editor’s note: This article was added to the Jamaica Homes News archive on 30 September 2026. It reports events from December 2025 and is dated to when they were reported.
Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com
Visit our YouTube Community ↗