Stamp duty & registration charges Karnataka

Published On: 3 October 2026

Stamp duty & registration charges in Karnataka are mandatory state taxes on property sales, set at a base rate of 2% to 5% with a statutory 2% registration fee. Under the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957, these fees record your title deed with the government and turn your sale agreement into a binding legal document.

The registrar looks at your deal price and the state rate, then picks the higher sum. City buyers must also pay a 10% cess and a 2% city fee on the duty. In fast hubs like Bengaluru, these fees push the real cost to 7.6% of the home price.

Current Stamp Duty Slabs and Registration Rates in Karnataka

Karnataka uses three price slabs for home sales, while the registration fee stays at a flat 2% of the total property value for every tier. The state fixes these slabs to keep entry-level homes affordable:

Homes up to ₹20 Lakh: Pay a 2% base stamp duty and a 2% registration fee.
Homes between ₹20 Lakh and ₹45 Lakh: Pay a 3% base stamp duty and a 2% registration fee.
Homes above ₹45 Lakh: Pay a 5% base stamp duty and a 2% registration fee.

Men and women pay the same stamp duty in Karnataka, with zero special discounts for female home buyers.

Cess, Surcharges, and Ancillary Levies on Property Registration

City home buyers in Karnataka also pay an extra 10% cess and a 2% urban fee on the basic stamp duty. These charges help fund local bodies such as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and support town planning work.

Urban Cess: A 10% tax added to the base stamp duty bill.
City Surcharge: A 2% fee on the base stamp duty for land inside city corporation limits.
Village Surcharge: A 3% fee on the base stamp duty for land under Gram Panchayats.
Effective City Duty: Adding the 5% base duty, 10% cess, and 2% surcharge gives an effective duty of 5.6% for homes over ₹45 lakh.

Once you add the 2% registration fee, the full government cost reaches 7.6% of the property value.

Karnataka Property Transfer Rates by Deed Category

Transferring a home outside a standard sale deed comes with separate stamp duty rules and flat fee limits. The table below lists the legal costs for common property deeds across the state:

Deed Category	Applicable Stamp Duty Rate	Mandatory Registration Fee
Sale Deed / Conveyance	5% + 10% cess + 2% surcharge (Urban)	2% of total property valuation
Gift Deed (Immediate Family)	Fixed ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 + cess	Fixed ₹500
Gift Deed (Non-Family)	5% of market value + cess and surcharge	2% of total property valuation
Long-Term Lease (>30 Years)	5% of property value or rent sum	2% of total transaction value
Mortgage (Without Possession)	0.5% of loan sum (Capped at ₹10,000)	0.1% to 0.5% (Capped at ₹10,000)

Calculating Stamp Duty on High-Value Homes: Prestige Garden Breeze Case Study

Prestige Garden Breeze at The Prestige City on Sarjapur Road is an East Bengaluru project where all 655 luxury apartments fall in the 5% duty slab. Built over 10 acres under RERA number PR/080926/008919, this Phase 7 site has 4 towers with 2, 3, and 4 BHK layouts from 1,080 sq ft to 3,069 sq ft, priced from ₹1.20 Crore to ₹3.93 Crore.

Buyers pay their dues on the total home price, which adds up to the full 7.6% state charge across each flat type:

2 BHK (1,080 to 1,140 sq ft) at ₹1.20 Crore: The 5.6% stamp duty is ₹6,72,000 and the 2% registration fee is ₹2,40,000, bringing the full legal cost to ₹9,12,000.
3 BHK (1,470 to 1,570 sq ft) at ₹1.62 Crore: The 5.6% stamp duty is ₹9,07,200 and the 2% registration fee is ₹3,24,000, making the total ₹12,31,200.
3 BHK (1,720 to 1,790 sq ft) at ₹1.89 Crore: The 5.6% stamp duty comes to ₹10,58,400 and the 2% registration fee is ₹3,78,000, for a total fee of ₹14,36,400.
4 BHK Penthouse (2,779 to 3,069 sq ft) at ₹3.56 Crore to ₹3.93 Crore: The 5.6% stamp duty is ₹19,93,600, and registration is ₹7,12,000 at the ₹3.56 Crore base, climbing to ₹29,86,800 at the top ₹3.93 Crore price.

Paying Stamp Duty and Registration via Kaveri Online Services

The Kaveri Online Services website handles document setup and fee payments for every sub-registrar office in Karnataka. These five clear steps walk you through the process:

Check Guidance Value: Visit kaveri.karnataka.gov.in and pick your district, taluk, and village to find the base rate per square foot.
Enter Property Data: Type in the buyer and seller details, flat size, and draft deed terms to see an automatic bill.
Pay Your Dues: Pay your stamp duty, cess, and registration fees online using net banking or the Khajane-II portal.
Book a Time Slot: Choose a date and time to visit your local sub-registrar office once your payment clears.
Finish Registration: Go to the sub-registrar office with two witnesses to scan your fingerprints, take photos, and get your signed deed.

FAQs

1. What is the current stamp duty rate in Karnataka for homes over ₹45 Lakh?

Homes priced over ₹45 Lakh pay a 5% base stamp duty, a 10% cess, and a 2% city surcharge, which makes the duty 5.6%. Adding the 2% registration fee brings your total government bill to 7.6%.

2. Do women get a discount on Karnataka stamp duty?

No, Karnataka does not give any stamp duty discount to women buyers. Every buyer pays the same slab rate based on the property price and area.

3. What is guidance value and how does it change my fee?

Guidance value is the minimum sale rate set by the state government for an area. If your private deal price is lower than this rate, the state calculates your taxes on the guidance value instead.

4. What is the fine for late property registration in Karnataka?

You must register your property deed within four months of signing it. If you miss this window, the sub-registrar can charge an extra penalty of up to 2% per month, or up to ten times the duty fee for long delays.

5. Can I claim tax deductions on stamp duty and registration fees?

Yes, buyers using the old tax regime can claim up to ₹1,50,000 for these fees under Section 80C. You can only claim this tax break in the financial year you paid the charges for a new home.