diff --git a/singer_sdk/plugin_base.py b/singer_sdk/plugin_base.py
index d81e8f7c3..53e2cd2f2 100644
--- a/singer_sdk/plugin_base.py
+++ b/singer_sdk/plugin_base.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import sys
+import time
 import typing as t
 from pathlib import Path, PurePath
 from types import MappingProxyType
@@ -155,6 +156,9 @@ def __init__(
         metrics._setup_logging(self.config)
         self.metrics_logger = metrics.get_metrics_logger()
 
+        # Initialization timestamp
+        self.__initialized_at = int(time.time() * 1000)
+
     def setup_mapper(self) -> None:
         """Initialize the plugin mapper for this tap."""
         self._mapper = PluginMapper(
@@ -185,6 +189,15 @@ def mapper(self, mapper: PluginMapper) -> None:
         """
         self._mapper = mapper
 
+    @property
+    def initialized_at(self) -> int:
+        """Start time of the plugin.
+
+        Returns:
+            The start time of the plugin.
+        """
+        return self.__initialized_at
+
     @classproperty
     def capabilities(self) -> list[CapabilitiesEnum]:
         """Get capabilities.
diff --git a/singer_sdk/sinks/core.py b/singer_sdk/sinks/core.py
index 9928aa6f2..19dfbc31a 100644
--- a/singer_sdk/sinks/core.py
+++ b/singer_sdk/sinks/core.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 if t.TYPE_CHECKING:
     from logging import Logger
 
-    from singer_sdk.plugin_base import PluginBase
+    from singer_sdk.target_base import Target
 
 JSONSchemaValidator = Draft7Validator
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class Sink(metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        target: PluginBase,
+        target: Target,
         stream_name: str,
         schema: dict,
         key_properties: list[str] | None,
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ def __init__(
             key_properties: Primary key of the stream to sink.
         """
         self.logger = target.logger
+        self.sync_started_at = target.initialized_at
         self._config = dict(target.config)
         self._pending_batch: dict | None = None
         self.stream_name = stream_name
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ def _add_sdc_metadata_to_record(
 
         Args:
             record: Individual record in the stream.
-            message: TODO
+            message: The record message.
             context: Stream partition or context dictionary.
         """
         record["_sdc_extracted_at"] = message.get("time_extracted")
@@ -252,6 +253,7 @@ def _add_sdc_metadata_to_record(
         record["_sdc_deleted_at"] = record.get("_sdc_deleted_at")
         record["_sdc_sequence"] = int(round(time.time() * 1000))
         record["_sdc_table_version"] = message.get("version")
+        record["_sdc_sync_started_at"] = self.sync_started_at
 
     def _add_sdc_metadata_to_schema(self) -> None:
         """Add _sdc metadata columns.
@@ -270,7 +272,7 @@ def _add_sdc_metadata_to_schema(self) -> None:
                 "type": ["null", "string"],
                 "format": "date-time",
             }
-        for col in ("_sdc_sequence", "_sdc_table_version"):
+        for col in ("_sdc_sequence", "_sdc_table_version", "_sdc_sync_started_at"):
             properties_dict[col] = {"type": ["null", "integer"]}
 
     def _remove_sdc_metadata_from_schema(self) -> None:
@@ -287,6 +289,7 @@ def _remove_sdc_metadata_from_schema(self) -> None:
             "_sdc_deleted_at",
             "_sdc_sequence",
             "_sdc_table_version",
+            "_sdc_sync_started_at",
         ):
             properties_dict.pop(col, None)
 
@@ -305,6 +308,7 @@ def _remove_sdc_metadata_from_record(self, record: dict) -> None:
         record.pop("_sdc_deleted_at", None)
         record.pop("_sdc_sequence", None)
         record.pop("_sdc_table_version", None)
+        record.pop("_sdc_sync_started_at", None)
 
     # Record validation
 
diff --git a/singer_sdk/sinks/sql.py b/singer_sdk/sinks/sql.py
index 9dac99b1e..238e83dec 100644
--- a/singer_sdk/sinks/sql.py
+++ b/singer_sdk/sinks/sql.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 if t.TYPE_CHECKING:
     from sqlalchemy.sql import Executable
 
-    from singer_sdk.plugin_base import PluginBase
+    from singer_sdk.target_base import Target
 
 
 class SQLSink(BatchSink):
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class SQLSink(BatchSink):
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        target: PluginBase,
+        target: Target,
         stream_name: str,
         schema: dict,
         key_properties: list[str] | None,
diff --git a/tests/core/sinks/__init__.py b/tests/core/sinks/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/core/sinks/test_sdc_metadata.py b/tests/core/sinks/test_sdc_metadata.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c07ac4f6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/sinks/test_sdc_metadata.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from freezegun import freeze_time
+
+from tests.conftest import BatchSinkMock, TargetMock
+
+
+def test_sdc_metadata():
+    with freeze_time("2023-01-01T00:00:00+00:00"):
+        target = TargetMock()
+
+    sink = BatchSinkMock(
+        target,
+        "users",
+        {"type": "object", "properties": {"id": {"type": "integer"}}},
+        ["id"],
+    )
+
+    record_message = {
+        "type": "RECORD",
+        "stream": "users",
+        "record": {"id": 1},
+        "time_extracted": "2021-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
+        "version": 100,
+    }
+    record = record_message["record"]
+
+    with freeze_time("2023-01-01T00:05:00+00:00"):
+        sink._add_sdc_metadata_to_record(record, record_message, {})
+
+    assert record == {
+        "id": 1,
+        "_sdc_extracted_at": "2021-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
+        "_sdc_received_at": "2023-01-01T00:05:00+00:00",
+        "_sdc_batched_at": "2023-01-01T00:05:00+00:00",
+        "_sdc_deleted_at": None,
+        "_sdc_sequence": 1672531500000,
+        "_sdc_table_version": 100,
+        "_sdc_sync_started_at": 1672531200000,
+    }
+
+    sink._add_sdc_metadata_to_schema()
+    assert sink.schema == {
+        "type": "object",
+        "properties": {
+            "id": {"type": "integer"},
+            "_sdc_extracted_at": {"type": ["null", "string"], "format": "date-time"},
+            "_sdc_received_at": {"type": ["null", "string"], "format": "date-time"},
+            "_sdc_batched_at": {"type": ["null", "string"], "format": "date-time"},
+            "_sdc_deleted_at": {"type": ["null", "string"], "format": "date-time"},
+            "_sdc_sequence": {"type": ["null", "integer"]},
+            "_sdc_table_version": {"type": ["null", "integer"]},
+            "_sdc_sync_started_at": {"type": ["null", "integer"]},
+        },
+    }