Why is stamp duty important?

By | November 7, 2009

In the case of real estate transactions, mortgage deeds etc. which tend to be high, the stamp duty value is also high. Stamp Duty charges also vary from state to state and are left to the discretion of the state government. There is a state to statewide variation in stamp duty rates across the country. In the state of Tamilnadu for instance, about 8% of the property value is claimed for stamp duty and about 1% is claimed for registration charges of the property.


Stamp duty indicates a form of tax that is imposed on documents. Traditionally, a physical stamp – tax stamp, needed to be part of the document to assert its legal validity. The stamp duty has to be paid for the legal claim to become functional.  It is imperative for various different kinds of legal transactions including property related transactions.

When you purchase a property, there are a lot of allied costs that come with it. Such incurred costs include the Stamp Duty and registration charges payable to the government. This ensures that the document, which lays your claim to the property is legally valid.

Stamp duty needs to be paid for every document prepared through which any right, title, interest or liability is created or transferred. The amount of stamp duty is dependent on the appraised market value of the property. The process that determines the value of stamp duty to be paid, based on property value evaluation by the Stamp Duty authorities is termed as “Adjudication”.

In the case of real estate transactions, mortgage deeds etc. which tend to be high, the stamp duty value is also high. Stamp Duty charges also vary from state to state and are left to the discretion of the state government. There is a state to statewide variation in stamp duty rates across the country. In the state of Tamilnadu for instance, about 8% of the property value is claimed for stamp duty and about 1% is claimed for registration charges of the property.

It was often felt that the government was repeatedly levying charges on the value of a property, which would in all probability change hands several times, which means the government gets to claim stamp duty charges on a fixed asset for an unlimited number of times. Attempts were made a few years ago to levy charges only on capital appreciation and not the property value as such, however, till date stamp duty remains based on the market value of the property.

It is imperative to pay stamp duty when you buy a property. If it is not paid, the document cannot be registered and hence cannot be considered legal and valid. This means it will not pass in court as proof of ownership of the property, which could pose grave problems when any kind of conflict arises in the future.

All information including news articles and blogs published on this website are strictly for general information purpose only. BankBazaar does not provide any warranty about the authenticity and accuracy of such information. BankBazaar will not be held responsible for any loss and/or damage that arises or is incurred by use of such information. Rates and offers as may be applicable at the time of applying for a product may vary from that mentioned above. Please visit www.bankbazaar.com for the latest rates/offers.
Category: Home Loans Tags: ,

About Abitha Deepak

Abitha was formerly part of the Content team at BankBazaar.com. She has a Master’s degree in Mass Communication and has 14 years of experience in Journalism and Creative Writing. Armed with strong writing and conceptualisation skills, Abitha has written on Loans, Credit Cards and Money Management.

3 thoughts on “Why is stamp duty important?

  1. Personal Loan

    This article had a lot of helpful information. It's good to get all the financial knowledge that you can.

    Reply
  2. ragu

    The amount of stamp duty is dependent on the appraised market value of the property. The process that determines the value of stamp duty to be paid, based on property value evaluation by the Stamp Duty authorities is termed as “Adjudication”.

    In the case of real estate transactions, mortgage deeds etc. which tend to be high, the stamp duty value is also high. Stamp Duty charges also vary from state to state and is left to the discretion of the state government. There is a state to state wide variation in stamp duty rates across the country. In the state of Tamilnadu for instance, about 8% of the property value is claimed for stamp duty and about 1% is claimed for registration charges of the property.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *