Legal
Stamp Duty and Registration Charges Explained
Budget closing costs before you negotiate price
Buyers routinely arrange the down payment and forget the closing stack. In Karnataka that stack is material and payable in cash, not from the loan.
What you will pay
- Stamp duty — charged on the higher of the agreement value or the government guidance value for that locality. Slabs vary with the property value.
- Registration fee — a percentage of the same value.
- Cess and surcharge — small additions applied on the stamp duty component.
- MODT / mortgage stamping — if you are taking a loan, the mortgage deed is stamped separately.
- Legal drafting and franking, plus service charges if you use a facilitator.
- GST — applies to under-construction property, not to completed homes or to land sale value.
Guidance value catches people out
If the guidance value for the locality is higher than your negotiated price, duty is computed on the guidance value. Check the Kaveri guidance-value record for the survey number and locality before you finalise your budget.
Joint ownership and women buyers
Concessions and slab treatment can differ by ownership pattern and value band; check the current schedule at the time of registration, as slabs are revised periodically.
Practical sequence
- Confirm guidance value for the exact locality and property type.
- Get a written closing-cost estimate from your lawyer or the developer's desk.
- Generate the challan online and carry the receipt to the sub-registrar.
- Verify every name, area figure and schedule of property on the deed before signing.
Ask for it in writing
Every UrbanEarth price sheet lists sale value, taxes and the estimated closing costs separately, so nothing appears on registration day.