Stamp Duty Calculator
for securities in India
Enter the quantity and price to see the stamp duty on a share transfer, a fresh issue, a debenture or a derivative contract, with the statutory rate and who bears it.
Stamp duty calculator
Any transfer of equity shares, preference shares or units where the security is actually delivered to the buyer, including delivery trades on an exchange and off-market transfers of unlisted shares through NSDL or CDSL.
An estimate based on the rate schedule in force from 1 July 2020. The amount actually debited is determined by the exchange, clearing corporation or depository executing the transaction. Not legal or tax advice.
How stamp duty on securities is calculated
Stamp duty on securities is an ad valorem charge: a fixed percentage of the consideration passing between the parties. Since 1 July 2020 a single national rate schedule applies, replacing the State-by-State rates that existed before, and the duty is collected at one point instead of at every leg of the transaction.
Find the consideration
Multiply the number of securities by the price per security. For an issue, use the issue price; for a transfer, the agreed transfer price.
Apply the rate for the instrument
Pick the row from the schedule that matches what you are doing: transferring, issuing, or trading a derivative. Each has its own rate.
One party pays, once
The buyer bears the duty on a transfer; the issuer bears it on an issue. The exchange or depository collects it and remits it to the buyer’s State.
Worked example. An off-market transfer of 10,000 unlisted equity shares at ₹100 each gives a consideration of ₹10,00,000. It is a delivery-based transfer of a security other than a debenture, so the rate is 0.015%. The stamp duty is ₹150, borne by the buyer and collected by the depository when the transfer instruction is executed.
Stamp duty rates on securities in India
The full schedule in force under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 as amended by the Finance Act, 2019.
| Instrument | Rate | Per ₹1 crore | Borne by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer of security (other than debenture) on delivery basis | 0.015% | ₹1,500 | Buyer |
| Transfer of security (other than debenture) on non-delivery basis | 0.003% | ₹300 | Buyer |
| Transfer and re-issue of debenture | 0.0001% | ₹10 | Buyer / transferee |
| Issue of security other than debenture | 0.005% | ₹500 | Issuer company |
| Issue of debenture | 0.005% | ₹500 | Issuer company |
| Derivatives: futures (equity and commodity) | 0.002% | ₹200 | Buyer |
| Derivatives: options (equity and commodity) | 0.003% | ₹300 | Buyer |
| Currency and interest rate derivatives | 0.0001% | ₹10 | Buyer |
| Other derivatives | 0.002% | ₹200 | Buyer |
| Repo on corporate bonds | 0.00001% | ₹1 | Buyer in the first leg |
| Government securities | 0% | ₹0 | Not applicable |
Frequently asked questions
Stamp duty is an ad valorem charge on the consideration amount. Multiply the number of securities by the price per security to get the consideration, then apply the rate for that instrument. For a delivery-based transfer of shares the rate is 0.015%, so a consideration of ₹10,00,000 attracts ₹150 of stamp duty. Government securities are exempt.
Transfer of unlisted equity or preference shares in dematerialised form is a delivery-based transfer of a security other than a debenture, so the rate is 0.015% of the consideration, which is ₹1,500 per ₹1 crore. The buyer bears the duty and the depository (NSDL or CDSL) collects it when the off-market transfer instruction is executed.
Issue of a security other than a debenture, including equity shares, preference shares and mutual fund units, attracts 0.005% of the issue consideration, or ₹500 per ₹1 crore. The issuer company bears the duty and the depository collects it when the securities are credited.
For a transfer of securities the buyer bears the duty. For an issue of securities the issuer company bears it. Since 1 July 2020 the duty is charged only on one side of the transaction, not on both.
Transfers made without consideration, such as a genuine gift or transmission of securities to a legal heir, have no consideration value to charge duty on. In practice depositories require the transfer instruction to state the reason code, and state-specific stamp law may still apply to the underlying instrument. Confirm the treatment with your RTA or depository participant before executing the instruction.
The amendments made by the Finance Act, 2019 to the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, together with the Indian Stamp (Collection of Stamp-Duty through Stock Exchanges, Clearing Corporations and Depositories) Rules, 2019, took effect on 1 July 2020. Before that date rates varied by State. The amendment replaced them with a single national schedule collected at one point.
Under the centralised collection mechanism the exchange, clearing corporation or depository collects the duty and transfers it to the State government where the buying client is domiciled, based on the address recorded in the demat account.
The statutory calculation is exact, but exchanges and depositories levy the duty rounded to the nearest rupee. This calculator shows both the exact ad valorem figure and the rounded amount you are likely to be debited.
Executing the transfer, not just costing it?
NextGen Share Registry is a SEBI-registered Registrar & Share Transfer Agent. We handle ISIN creation, dematerialisation, off-market transfers and corporate actions for listed and unlisted companies across India.