Stamp Duty · Karnataka
Bengaluru’s famous 10-month deposits make Karnataka one of the most under-stamped states in India: the 1% duty applies to the deposit too, so an agreement with a ₹2,00,000 deposit owes materially more than tenants expect. Most agreements printed on ₹100 e-stamp paper in Karnataka are technically under-stamped.
1% of (rent + deposit)
Rent / lease agreements
Registration optional < 12 months
Karnataka Stamp Act
₹200 flat for NDAs
Karnataka Stamp Act, Article 5(j-1)
Pre-set for Karnataka's schedule. Enter your rent, term, and deposit for an indicative duty — the same engine the Dharaa app uses.
Your estimate will appear here.
Estimates are indicative and based on published state schedules — verify against your State Stamp Schedule or SHCIL before purchase. Not legal or tax advice.
Karnataka levies 1% stamp duty on the total rent for the term plus the security deposit — the deposit is included in the base, which surprises many Bengaluru tenants with large deposits. The security deposit is included in the duty base. Registration is optional for agreements up to 11 months; most Bengaluru agreements stay at 11 months for this reason.
Reference example — ₹25,000/month, 11 months, ₹1,00,000 deposit: duty ≈ ₹3,750 (total ≈ ₹3,750).
A flat ₹200 under Karnataka Stamp Act, Article 5(j-1). Karnataka levies ₹200 on agreements without monetary consideration. This covers NDAs, service agreements, and most contracts without their own schedule entry.
An under-stamped agreement is inadmissible as evidence (Section 35, Indian Stamp Act, 1899) and can be impounded, with a penalty of up to 10× the deficit under Section 40. Stamping correctly at execution costs a fraction of fixing it during a dispute.
Yes. Karnataka computes the 1% duty on total rent for the term plus the security deposit. With Bengaluru’s typical large deposits, this often dominates the duty — an agreement with ₹25,000 rent and a ₹1,00,000 deposit owes about ₹3,750.
Usually not. A ₹100 stamp is common practice but rarely matches the 1% ad-valorem duty the Karnataka Stamp Act prescribes. An under-stamped agreement is inadmissible as evidence until duty and penalty (up to 10×) are paid.
A flat ₹200 under Article 5(j-1) of the Karnataka Stamp Act for agreements without monetary consideration.
Estimates and rules are indicative, based on published state schedules — verify with your State Stamp Schedule or SHCIL before purchase. Not legal or tax advice.
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