The cost of property acquisition in India increases significantly when a buyer adds the many taxes they have to pay as part of the process. Among the taxes that jack up the overall cost of property purchase are stamp duty and registry fee.
What is a stamp?
Stamp is any work, seal or endorsement by any agency or person duly authorised by a state government and includes an adhesive or impressed stamp for the purpose of duty chargeable under the Stamps Act.
What is stamp duty?
Stamp duty is the money payable to purchase stamps of a certain value. In India, fee to the state government and court is paid through stamp papers of various kinds. For registration of property related instruments like sale deed, gift deed, exchange deed, partition deed, etc., the buyer must purchase stamp by paying stamp duty.
What is registry fee?
Registry fee is the money payable by a homebuyer to the state for providing registration and documentation services.
On what basis is stamp duty based on?
Stamp duty is based on the minimum value on which a property can be sold in a particular location. This is known by different names across the country- circle rate in the north, ready reckoner rate in the west, guidance value in the south.
Stamp duty in India’s 30 cities in 2024
Stamp duty in Jaipur in 2024
| Gender | Stamp duty | Registration fee | Total registry charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 6%+ 20% of 6% as labour cess | 1% | 8.20% |
| Female | 5%+ 20% of 5% as labour cess | 1% | 7% |
- Note that the stamp duty in Jaipur will be reduced in a phased manner.
- A stamp duty of 0.5% will be charged on consideration of amount for sale or lease deeds under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
- A stamp duty of 1% will be charges on units of low income groups.
Stamp duty in Lucknow in 2024
| Owner | Stamp duty as percentage of the property value | Registration charge as percentage of the property value | Stamp duty and registration charge in rupees on a property worth Rs 10 lakh |
| Man | 7% | 1% | Rs 70,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Woman | 6%* | 1% | Rs 50,000* + Rs 10,000 |
| Man + woman | 6.5% | 1% | Rs 65,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Man + Man | 7% | 1% | Rs 70,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Woman + woman | 6% | 1% | Rs 50,000* + Rs 10,000 |
Source: IGRS UP
* Note: Women are offered a 1% reduction in stamp duty charges in UP. But, this rebate is applicable only up to Rs 10 lakh out of the total value of the transaction.
Stamp duty in Bhopal in 2024
| Ownership type | Stamp duty as the percentage of registered property value | Registration fee as the percentage of registered property value |
| Men | 9% | 3% |
| Women | 9% | 3% |
| Man + Woman | 9% | 3% |
| Man +Man | 9% | 3% |
| Woman + Woman | 9% | 3% |
Source: Mpigr.gov.in
*Stamp duty includes 5% principal stamp duty, 3% municipal duty, 1% janpad duty ; applicable on conveyance deed carried out in compliance of an agreement to sale with possession; 10% of the principal stamp duty has to be paid as Upkar duty.
Stamp duty in Varanasi in 2024
| Owner | Stamp duty as percentage of the property value | Registration charge as percentage of the property value | Stamp duty and registration charge in rupees on a property worth Rs 10 lakh |
| Man | 7% | 1% | Rs 70,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Woman | 6%* | 1% | Rs 50,000* + Rs 10,000 |
| Man + woman | 6.5% | 1% | Rs 65,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Man + Man | 7% | 1% | Rs 70,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Woman + woman | 6% | 1% | Rs 50,000* + Rs 10,000 |
Source: IGRS UP
* Note: Women are offered a 1% reduction in stamp duty charges in UP. But, this rebate is applicable only up to Rs 10 lakh out of the total value of the transaction.
See also: Can stamp duty be refunded if a property deal is cancelled?
Stamp duty in Meerut in 2024
| Owner | Stamp duty as percentage of the property value | Registration charge as percentage of the property value | Stamp duty and registration charge in rupees on a property worth Rs 10 lakh |
| Man | 7% | 1% | Rs 70,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Woman | 6%* | 1% | Rs 50,000* + Rs 10,000 |
| Man + woman | 6.5% | 1% | Rs 65,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Man + Man | 7% | 1% | Rs 70,000 + Rs 10,000 |
| Woman + woman | 6% | 1% | Rs 50,000* + Rs 10,000 |
Source: IGRS UP
* Note: Women are offered a 1% reduction in stamp duty charges in UP. But, this rebate is applicable only up to Rs 10 lakh out of the total value of the transaction.
Stamp duty in Patna in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
| When property is sold from a man to a woman | 5.7% | 1.9% |
| When property is sold from a woman to a man | 6.3% | 2.1% |
| In any other case | 6% | 2% |
Stamp duty in Vadodara in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
| Man | 4.9% | 1% |
| Woman | 4.9% | 1% |
| Joint | 4.9% | 1% |
See also: 11 facts about stamp duty levied on property purchase
Stamp duty in Mangalore in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty for men | Stamp duty for women | Registration fee |
| Property above Rs 45 lakh | 5% | 5% | 1% |
| Property between Rs 21 lakh and Rs 45 lakh | 3% | 3% | 1% |
| Property up to Rs 20 lakh | 2% | 2% | 1% |
Stamp duty in Chandigarh in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
| Man | 5% | 1% |
| Woman | 5% | 1% |
| Joint | 5% | 1% |
Stamp duty in Ludhiana in 2024
| Single ownership | Stamp duty | Registration charge |
| Man | 7% | 1% |
| Woman | 5% | 1% |
| Joint ownership | ||
| Man + woman | 6% | 1% |
| Man + man | 7% | 1% |
| Woman + woman | 5% | 1% |
Stamp duty in Panchkula in 2024
| Area | Men | Women | Joint |
| Under municipal ambit | 7% | 5% | 6% |
| Outside municipal ambit | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Registration fee in Panchkula in 2024
| Property value | Registration fee |
| Rs 50,000 | Rs 100 |
| Rs 51,000 to Rs 5 lakh | Rs 1,000 |
| Rs 5-10 lakh | Rs 5,000 |
| Rs 11- 20 lakh | Rs 10,000 |
| Rs 21-25 lakh | Rs 12,500 |
| Rs 25 lakh | Rs 15,000 |
| Rs 25-40 lakh | Rs 20,000 |
| Rs 40-50 lakh | Rs 25,000 |
| Rs 50-60 lakh | Rs 30,000 |
| Rs 61-70 lakh | Rs 35,000 |
| Rs 71-80 lakh | Rs 40,000 |
| Rs 81-90 lakh | Rs 45,000 |
| Rs 91 and above | Rs 50,000 |
Stamp duty in Gurgaon in 2024
| Area | Men | Women | Joint |
| Under municipal ambit | 7% | 5% | 6% |
| Outside municipal ambit | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Registration fee in Gurgaon in 2024
| Property value | Registration fee |
| Rs 50,000 | Rs 100 |
| Rs 51,000 to Rs 5 lakh | Rs 1,000 |
| Rs 5-10 lakh | Rs 5,000 |
| Rs 11- 20 lakh | Rs 10,000 |
| Rs 21-25 lakh | Rs 12,500 |
| Rs 25 lakh | Rs 15,000 |
| Rs 25-40 lakh | Rs 20,000 |
| Rs 40-50 lakh | Rs 25,000 |
| Rs 50-60 lakh | Rs 30,000 |
| Rs 61-70 lakh | Rs 35,000 |
| Rs 71-80 lakh | Rs 40,000 |
| Rs 81-90 lakh | Rs 45,000 |
| Rs 91 and above | Rs 50,000 |
Stamp duty in Kochi in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
| Man | 7% | 2% |
| Woman | 7% | 2% |
| Joint | 7% | 2% |
Stamp duty in Ranchi in 2024
| Gender | Stamp duty | Registration charge as percentage of the property value |
| Men | 4% | 3% |
| Women | 4% | 3% |
| Joint | 4% | 3% |
Stamp duty in Nagpur in 2024
| Areas in Mumbai | Stamp duty for men | Stamp duty for women | Registration charges |
| Within the municipal limits of any urban area | 6% of property’s market value | 5% of property’s market value | 1 % of the property value |
| Within the limits of any municipal council/ panchayat/ cantonment of any area within MMRDA | 4% of property’s market value |
3% of property’s market value |
1 % of the property value |
| Within the limits of any gram panchayat | 3% of property’s market value | 2% of property’s market value | 1 % of the property value |
Stamp duty in Coimbatore in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
| Man | 7% | 4% |
| Woman | 7% | 4% |
| Joint | 7% | 4% |
Stamp duty in Shimla in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
| Male | 6% | 6% for properties worth up to Rs 80 lakh
8% for properties worth over Rs 80 lakh |
| Female | 4% | 4% for properties worth up to Rs 80 lakh
8% for properties worth over Rs 80 lakh |
| Joint | 5% | 6% for properties worth up to Rs 80 lakh
8% for properties worth over Rs 80 lakh |
Stamp duty in Dehradun in 2024
| Ownership type | Stamp duty as a percentage of registered property value | Registration charge as a percentage of registered property value |
| Men | 5% | 2% |
| Women | 3.75%* | 2% |
| Man + Woman | 4.37%* | 2% |
| Man + Man | 5% | 2% |
| Woman + Woman | 3.75%* | 2% |
*The reduced stamp duty rate of 3.75% is applicable only on properties worth Rs 25 lakh. On properties worth more than that, the general stamp duty of 5% will be levied.
See also: What is a title deed?
Stamp duty in Bhubaneswar in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
| Man | 5% | 2% |
| Woman | 4% | 2% |
| Joint | 4.3% | 2% |
Stamp duty in Visakhapatnam in 2024
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
| Man | 6.5% | 1% |
| Woman | 6.5% | 1% |
| Joint | 6.5% | 1% |
Housing.com POV
Payment of stamp duty is not just a legal formality. Doing so is also crucial to maintain ownership of your property and save it from encroachments. In case of any future dispute regarding the ownership, for instance, a duly stamped sale deed will be your shield of proportion.
When a document is presented as evidence in court, the court must ensure the document is properly stamped. If the document lacks sufficient stamping, it cannot be accepted as evidence unless the stamp duty is paid. Only after deciding on the admissibility of the document, the court proceeds with recording evidence. If the document is sent to the Collector to collect stamp duty and penalty, the court doesn’t need to stop the trial but can continue until the document is received.
(Additional inputs: Anuradha Ramamirtham)
FAQs
Do buyers have to pay stamp duty even in small cities?
Property buyers across India have to pay stamp duty on property purchases, irrespective of the location, even though the rates may vary from place to place.
What is the stamp duty on property purchase in UP?
Stamp duty varies between 5% and 7%, depending on the city where the property is being registered. The stamp duty rate in Noida, for example, is not the same as that in Meerut.
Do I have to pay more than 1% of the deal value as registration charge?
In some states, registration charge is also kept at 2% of the deal value.
Which law regulates stamp duty in India?
The Indian Stamp Act, 1899, is a fiscal enactment which was enacted to consolidate and amend the law relating to stamps.
What types of stamps are regulated under Indian Stamp Act, 1899?
The Indian Stamp Act is concerned with non-judicial stamps.
Does payment of stamp duty amount to transfer of property?
No, payment of stamp duty is for the execution of sale deed. It is not connected with the transfer of property.
What is meant by “instrument” when paying stamp duty?
“Instrument” includes every document by which any right or liability is, or purports to be, created, transferred, limited, extended, extinguished or recorded.
What can be the mode of payment of stamp duty?
Under Section 10 of the Indian Stamp Act, payment of stamp duty on an instrument chargeable with the duty shall be indicated on such instrument by means of stamps as provided under the Act. The payment of stamp duty is by way of: a) Adhesive stamps (b) Impressed stamps (c) Payment of duty in cash (under Section 10-A as inserted by A.P. Act 8 of 1998, w.e.f 01-05-1998).