Buying a home in Bangalore is an exciting step, but it comes with a few additional costs that can catch you off guard if you’re not prepared. Understanding what you’ll need to pay—beyond just the price of the property—is key. This guide walks you through the essential charges like stamp duty, registration fees, and Khata transfer, along with some tips, common mistakes to avoid, and whether you might benefit from professional help. Let’s keep it simple and practical.

About the Series – Stamp, Sign, Settle

Buying a home in Bangalore? Exciting—yes. Confusing—definitely. That’s why we created this simple, no-jargon series Stamp, Sign, Settle to walk you through everything you need to know about registering a property in the city drawing upon our decade of experience in executing thousands of property transactions. From must-have documents and legal checks to stamp duty, timelines, and expert tips—each article breaks it down step by step.

You can view the previous article in series on Necessary Documents for Registration here. Next in the series, we cover the topic which is very relevant to your pocket: the charges you’ll need to pay to register the property in your name. Let’s get started!

Buying a home in Bangalore is an exciting step, but it comes with a few additional costs that can catch you off guard if you’re not prepared. Understanding what you’ll need to pay—beyond just the price of the property—is key. This guide walks you through the essential charges like stamp duty, registration fees, and Khata transfer, along with some tips, common mistakes to avoid, and whether you might benefit from professional help. Let’s keep it simple and practical.

In case you are in a hurry? Here’s the gist: For Resale properties the Stamp Duty and Registration charges ranges from 6.6% – 6.65% while for non-Resale properties it ranges from 3.0% – 6.65% based on property value and location. Curious how it all adds up? We break it down for you in the full article below!

Stamp Duty: Making the Sale Legal

When you buy a property, the first major cost you’ll face is stamp duty. This is a tax paid to the state government that gives your property deal legal standing. You pay this fee to get stamp papers of appropriate value from the state’s revenue department. Stamp Duty is calculated on the value which is the maximum of the Property Value under Sale Deed or the Guidance value.

The Stamp duty charges are quite simplified in Karnataka where there is no differentiation based on Gender, Joint ownership etc but even then the charges vary based on several factors as its dependent on guidance value of the property. Guidance value are dependent on number of factors including:

• – Type of property (like Apartments vs Individual houses)
• – Age of Property (new launches vs decade old apartments).
• – Amenities in the property (has swanky club house? more value)
• – Location of the property (Rural, Urban, Prime centers, Regulatory zones like SEZ).
• – Infrastructure around the property (Connectivity to other parts of the city, proximity to landmarks etc.)
• – Demand and Supply of the property (like metro project announcement, spikes the demand). 

In this article we are elaborating Stamp Duty for Conveyance Deed for residential properties. In case you want to look up duty for other deeds like Gift Deed, Adoption Deed, Mortgage Deed, you can look up the official guideline here.

For Resale Properties

For Resale properties (i.e. the ones where property is registered in someones name already), the Stamp Duty charges are flat 5% irrespective of property value. Surcharge is 2% for properties within BBMP limits and 3% for properties outside of it. Cess is flat 10% of Stamp Duty charges. So in all, it works up at 5.6% for properties within BBMP limit and 5.65% fo properties outside BBMP limits.

For All Other Properties

For Non-Resale properties, the Stamp Duty varies based on value, which is shown as below:

On top of this, there are some additional charges:

• Cess: 10% of the duty for properties above ₹35 Lakhs in the urban areas. Rural areas are exempted of this charge
• Surcharge: Additional 2% is charged on the duty for properties under BBMP limits and 3% for areas outside of it, which are above ₹35 Lakhs.

This brings the overall Stamp Duty to 5.6% for properties in Urban areas and 5.65% for properties in rural areas which are more than ₹45 Lakhs. You’ll need to pay this before registering the property, usually through the government’s Kaveri Online portal. Once paid, you’ll receive an e-stamp certificate that’s used during registration.

Some sample calculations:

Rakesh is buying premium flat of ₹60 Lakhs in Indiranagar, he has to budget ₹3.36 Lakhs for registration charges which area as follows:

• ₹3,00,000 : For 5%Stamp Duty (on property value)
• ₹30,000 : For 10% Cess (on Stamp Duty)
• ₹6,000: For 2% surcharge (on Stamp Duty)

Mukesh is buying resale flat of ₹30 Lakhs in whitefield area, he has to budget ₹1.68 lakhs for registration charges which area as follows:

• ₹1,50,000 : For 5%Stamp Duty (on property value)
• ₹15,000 : For 10% Cess (on Stamp Duty)
• ₹3,000: For 2% surcharge (on Stamp Duty)

Registration Charges: Making It Official

Once the stamp duty is sorted, registration is the next step. This process records your sale in official government records and transfers ownership into your name. The registration fee in Bangalore is typically 1% of the property’s market value. There might be a small administrative fee too, but it’s generally modest.

This fee can vary slightly based on whether the property is residential or commercial, and it must be paid within four months of signing the sale deed. Registration is done at the Sub-Registrar Office, and you’ll need to carry all your original documents, including ID proofs, the sale deed, and the stamp duty payment receipt.

Khata Transfer: Getting on the City’s Records

After registration, your name still needs to show up in the municipal records—that’s what the Khata is for. It’s essentially your property’s account with the city (BBMP), and it’s important because it allows you to pay property tax, apply for utility connections, and even take a loan against your home.

The charge for Khata transfer is usually 2% of the stamp duty amount, with a minimum fee of ₹500. You’ll also need to submit documents like the registered sale deed and the latest tax receipt and complete the transfer process within 3 months of registration. The whole process usually takes a few weeks, provided your paperwork is in order.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

A few common mistakes can delay or complicate your registration. One of the biggest is underreporting the value of the property to save on taxes—it might seem smart now, but it can cause legal and financial trouble later. Wrong calculation of stamp duty incurs penalties up to 2% monthly, which can swell up to 200% of the missing amount.

Other pitfalls to avoid are missing documents like a No Objection Certificate (NOC) or not checking for unpaid dues like property tax. Also, don’t skip a proper title check to confirm ownership history, and make sure you meet all registration and Khata application deadlines to avoid late fees.

Benefits you can avail

There are some benefits you can avail on the payment of stamp duty and registration charges.

Section 80C benefits: Section 80C of the Income Tax Act lets you claim tax deductions up to ₹1.5 lakh for stamp duty and registration charges when buying property. All the same, this deduction shares the overall Section 80C limit with other investments like Provident Funds and Equity-Linked Saving Schemes.

You need to meet these conditions to claim the benefits:

• – The deduction works only for under-construction residential properties, not commercial properties, resale properties, or residential plots
• – You should claim the deduction in the same financial year you paid the stamp duty.
• – The property must be registered in your name.
• – A mandatory 5-year lock-in period exists—if you sell before this period, the deduction amount becomes taxable income in the year of transfer

First Time Buyer Incentive: First-time homebuyers get special benefits that lower their stamp duty costs. These include credit-linked subsidy scheme (CLSS) under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) which helps economically-weaker sections with financial support. PMAY properties usually have lower stamp duty rates than regular ones.

Is Professional Help Worth It?

If you’re not comfortable dealing with government forms and queues, hiring a professional can be a good move. These professionals can not only guide you with best practices on structuring the transaction but also assist with proper documentation and verifications by running around authorities to help avoid penalties and timeline delays. Just be sure to verify credentials and get everything in writing. Some general guidance on the charges for various professional services are below:

Note: Charges are indicative and may vary based on service scope.

Final Thoughts

Buying a home is exciting, and while the paperwork might seem like a chore, it’s all part of making that home truly yours. With a little knowledge and preparation, you can breeze through the registration process, avoid common errors, and enjoy all the benefits of property ownership in Bangalore.

Simplify Your Journey with Settlin

If managing all these documents sounds daunting, consider Settlin’s zero‑brokerage, end‑to‑end property buying service. Getting legal opinion in the market would cost you ₹15,000 to ₹50,000, which Settlin provides free of cost. Experts at Settlin handle everything from property search and negotiation to full legal document verification, so you don’t have to worry about missing a single detail. With Settlin by your side, you can focus on planning your new life in Bangalore, while they take care of the paperwork.

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