Abstract Single crystal absorption spectra of tetrachloro, tetrabromo, and tetrathiocyanato complexes of Pd(II) and Pt(II) have been measured in the visible and near-ultraviolet region at temperatures between 10 K and 295 K. A spectral assignment of the observed d-d transitions based on ligand field theoretical calculations including electron-electron interaction and spin-orbit coupling is proposed which is consistent for all the systems investigated