Group 1 - The Hong Kong government currently has no plans to allow the payment of stamp duty on non-residential property transactions in installments, citing that the stamp duty constitutes a small portion of the overall transaction cost, especially for properties valued above approximately 21.74 million HKD [1] - The stamp duty for non-residential properties ranges from 100 HKD to a maximum rate of 4.25%, and the highest rate applies only to transactions exceeding 21.74 million HKD [1] - The non-residential property market has shown stable trading activity over the past year, with approximately 3,600 stamp duty applications in the first quarter of 2025/26, representing a 17% increase year-on-year, and the total transaction amount rising over 30% to about 20 billion HKD [1] Group 2 - The Hong Kong government is actively promoting foreign investment and monitoring the non-residential property market, with no current restrictions on mortgage loan-to-value ratios for investors from outside Hong Kong [2] - The "New Capital Investor Entry Scheme" allows applicants to invest in both residential and non-residential real estate, with a maximum investment amount of 10 million HKD counting towards the total investment requirement [2] - In February 2023, the government raised the property value threshold for the 100 HKD stamp duty from 2 million HKD to 3 million HKD, and plans to further increase it to 4 million HKD by February 2025, aimed at reducing stamp duty for certain property transactions [2] Group 3 - The current rate of property rates for non-residential properties is set at 5% of the assessed rental value, which is the same as for residential properties valued at 550,000 HKD or below [3] - The rental index for private offices has decreased by approximately 18% from October 2019 to October 2024, while the assessed rental value for private offices has dropped by about 16% during the same period [3] - The annual reassessment of the assessed rental value by the Hong Kong Rating and Valuation Department effectively reflects the latest market rental trends, and the current property rate for non-residential properties is considered reasonable [3]