Work out stamp duty and registration on a property purchase in six Indian states, with guidance value, band rates, cess, caps and buyer concessions applied.
Why does the guidance value matter more than my price?
Because duty is charged on whichever is higher. If the state values your flat at ₹65,00,000 and you paid ₹60,00,000, you pay duty on ₹65,00,000. Writing a lower number on the deed does not reduce the bill, and the sub-registrar will not register a deed below the published value.
Is stamp duty charged in slabs like income tax?
No, and this catches people out. The band your property falls into sets one rate for the entire value. In Karnataka a ₹45,00,000 purchase pays 3% and a ₹45,00,001 purchase pays 5%, so one rupee more costs about ₹90,000 more. If you are close to a boundary, this page tells you.
Do women really pay less stamp duty?
In some states, and by less than the headlines suggest. Delhi charges a woman 4% against a man’s 6%, which is real money. Uttar Pradesh gives one percentage point but caps the saving at ₹10,000, so on a ₹1 crore purchase it is worth ₹10,000, not ₹1,00,000. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu give nothing.
Why is the answer marked indicative?
Because these are the rates each state publicly quotes, and none of the six departments publishes a fee schedule we could read and pin to a date. Rates also change by notification with no warning. Treat this as a planning figure and get the exact number from the state portal before you pay.
What else will I pay on top?
Legal fees, the sub-registrar’s scanning and pasting charges, a franking or e-stamp service fee, GST if you are buying an under-construction property, and often a broker’s commission. Only the duty, the state levies and the registration fee appear here.
Why does the state portal show a slightly higher figure?
Rounding, almost always. This page carries the exact percentages and does not round, while states round the duty and the registration fee themselves, usually up to the next ten or hundred rupees. The gap should be tens of rupees. If it is thousands, the portal has applied a levy or a property class this page does not model, and the portal is the one to believe.
Can I claim stamp duty against tax?
Stamp duty and registration on a residential house qualify under section 80C, within the ₹1,50,000 limit shared with PPF, EPF and everything else. You can only claim it in the year you actually paid it, and only under the old regime.