Buyers budget for the plot and forget the counter. Stamp duty and registration routinely add five to nine percent to the cost of a plot, they are payable in full at registration, and banks will not lend against them — so they come out of the same savings as your down payment. Worse, the duty is not calculated on what you agreed to pay. It is calculated on a government benchmark, and if that benchmark is higher than your price, the benchmark wins.
This guide explains how that benchmark works, what your state calls it, what has genuinely changed going into 2026 — and what has not, despite what some websites say — and the concessions most buyers never claim.
Quick takeaway: Duty is charged on your price or the circle rate, whichever is higher — the circle rate is a floor, not a guide. It has four names for one thing: Jantri (Gujarat), Ready Reckoner (Maharashtra), Guidance Value (Karnataka), Collector Rate (Haryana). Duty runs broadly 4–8% by state with a registration fee on top. Check the rate in force on your registration date, from the official portal.
The Rule That Governs Everything: Higher Of
Every state applies the same principle. Duty is levied on the higher of the price in the deed and the government's benchmark value, and no property can be registered below that benchmark.
Buyers mis-model this constantly. If the circle rate is ₹4,000 per square foot and you negotiate down to ₹3,200, you still pay duty as if you paid ₹4,000. Your negotiation saved money on the land and nothing on the duty. The seller is also taxed on the ₹4,000 figure under Section 50C, so a below-circle-rate deal creates a liability for both sides.
Put numbers on it. For a plot whose benchmark value is ₹60 lakh, duty at 6% is ₹3.6 lakh; add a registration fee of, say, 1% and the counter costs ₹4.2 lakh — in cash, on the day, before a single rupee of loan is disbursed. That is the figure to have in your account, not a line to discover in the sub-registrar's office.
Where rates are old, the gap runs the other way. In much of Delhi, market prices sit well above circle rates that have not been revised since 2014, so the agreed price governs. In recently revised markets the two sit closer, and the circle rate binds more often.
Four Names, One Instrument
This is the biggest source of confusion for buyers looking up their own rate.
| State | What the benchmark is called | Where it stands (Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Gujarat | Jantri | Doubled in April 2023 |
| Maharashtra | Ready Reckoner Rate | Revisions, when made, take effect 1 April |
| Karnataka | Guidance Value | Last fully revised Oct 2023; a 2026 revision announced |
| Haryana, Punjab | Collector Rate | Published district by district |
| Tamil Nadu | Market Value Guideline | Revised by notification |
| Delhi | Circle Rate | 2014 rates still apply |
Search with your state's own term. "Guidance value Bengaluru" finds what "circle rate Bengaluru" will not.
Where to Look Up Your Rate
Every state publishes its benchmark through an official channel, and that — not a property portal or calculator site — is the only source to budget from. Aggregator pages copy each other, and a wrong date or figure spreads fast.
- Gujarat — Jantri values through the state's GARVI registration portal.
- Maharashtra — Ready Reckoner rates through the IGR Maharashtra portal.
- Karnataka — Kaveri Online: choose Guidance Value, then district, sub-registrar office, area and property type, and fetch the report.
- Tamil Nadu — guideline values through TNREGINET.
- Telangana — market values through the IGRS Telangana portal.
- Haryana — collector rates on each district's official website, published tehsil by tehsil.
- Delhi — the Revenue Department's circle rates, set by locality category from A to H.
Pull the figure again the day before registration. It takes two minutes, and it is the only way to be sure no revision has landed while your deal was in progress.
What Has Changed — and What Hasn't
Two markets show why you should check the notification rather than an article.
- Delhi — still on 2014 rates. A COVID-era 20% reduction on circle rates began in February 2021, was extended twice, and was withdrawn from 1 July 2022. Some websites still say it ran until December 2025. It did not. A revision has been reported as under consideration, but none has been notified — until one is, the 2014 rates govern.
- Karnataka — announced is not notified. Guidance values were last comprehensively revised on 1 October 2023, by roughly 25–30% in most areas. A further revision for Bengaluru was announced in 2026, but reports through mid-2026 said it had not been gazette-notified, and that sub-registrar offices were handling the gap inconsistently. Legally, the old value applies until notification — which is exactly why you fetch the value on Kaveri Online for your specific property before registering, rather than assuming either figure.
Why this matters for a plot: land deals take longer to close than flats — title, NA status, layout sanction and loan all sit in the path. A deal agreed in February and registered in May can cross a revision. The rate that applies is the one in force on the date of registration, not the date you agreed the price.
Converted Land Is Valued Differently
Once agricultural land is converted for non-agricultural use, full stamp duty rates generally apply rather than any concessional agricultural rate. Several states go further and value land with change-of-land-use approval at a multiple of the base agricultural rate — Haryana's collector-rate lists are an example.
In practice this means the benchmark on a plot in a converted layout can be several times what the neighbouring farm is assessed at. That is exactly as it should be — but it catches out buyers who priced the deal by looking at agricultural land values in the same village.
If you are buying into a layout where conversion is incomplete, or buying raw land to plot, establish in the agreement who bears the conversion charges. In a well-run layout they are already paid and priced into the plot; in a hurried one, they arrive later. Take the treatment from your tehsil's official list, not an aggregator site. Our guide to NA plots versus agricultural land explains what conversion changes legally.
The Concessions Buyers Leave on the Table
Many states cut stamp duty by one to two percentage points for particular buyers:
- Women buyers — the most widely available concession. On the ₹60 lakh example above, two percentage points is ₹1.2 lakh.
- First-time buyers, where a state runs such a scheme.
- SC and ST buyers, and ex-servicemen, under state provisions.
The condition usually attaches to how the property is held. Sole ownership by a woman and joint ownership are often treated differently, so decide the names before the deed is drafted — it cannot be revisited after registration. And note what you cannot do: individual buyers cannot appeal against the notified circle rate for an area. Only genuinely exceptional parcels qualify for a site-specific assessment by the Collector of Stamps.
Working Out Your Actual Number
1. Find the benchmark for the exact plot
Not the locality average. Rates vary street by street, and main-road frontage is often assessed separately from an interior plot.
2. Compare it with your price
Duty is on whichever is higher. If the benchmark wins, flag the Section 50C consequence to the seller now.
3. Apply the duty rate, then add registration
Take both from the state registration portal on the day — rates move by notification.
4. Check conversion charges and the names on the deed
Who pays for conversion, and whose name unlocks a concession. Both are decided before drafting.
Where a 3D Layout View Helps
Because the circle rate can differ between a main-road plot and an interior one in the same layout, knowing exactly which plot you are buying — its number, frontage and the road it faces — is part of getting the duty right. An interactive 3D view of the sanctioned layout lets you match plot number and dimensions against the deed before you pay the duty, rather than discovering a mismatch at the sub-registrar's desk.
The Bottom Line
Budget for duty on the higher of your price and the benchmark, using the rate in force on your registration date, taken from the official portal. Delhi is still on 2014 rates; Karnataka's 2026 revision is announced, not notified. When a website tells you otherwise, check the notification.
Note: Rates, fees and concessions are set by each state and change by notification. This describes the structure and the position as we could verify it in September 2026; it is not a quotation. Confirm with the sub-registrar or your state's registration portal before you budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a circle rate and why does it matter more than the price I agreed?
It is the government's minimum benchmark value for land in a locality, below which a property cannot be registered. Stamp duty is charged on your price or the circle rate, whichever is higher, so the circle rate is a floor under your registration cost. Agree a price below it and you still pay duty on the circle rate — and the seller is taxed on it under Section 50C.
Is the circle rate called something different in my state?
Yes. It is Jantri in Gujarat, Ready Reckoner Rate in Maharashtra, Guidance Value in Karnataka, Collector Rate in Haryana and Punjab, Market Value Guideline in Tamil Nadu, and Circle Rate in Delhi and much of the north. They do the same job. Search using your state's own term or you will find nothing useful.
How much is stamp duty on a plot in India?
Broadly four to eight percent of the chargeable value depending on the state, with a registration fee on top. The figure can also depend on whether the land is in a municipal area and on the category of buyer. Rates move by notification, so confirm the current figure on your state's registration portal rather than relying on an article, including this one.
Is land converted from agricultural use valued differently?
Often, yes. Once agricultural land is converted, full stamp duty rates generally apply rather than any concessional agricultural rate, and several states value land with change-of-land-use approval at a multiple of the base agricultural rate. Haryana's collector-rate lists are an example. Find the treatment for your parcel in the official list for your tehsil or district, not on an aggregator site.
Are there stamp duty concessions for women buyers?
In many states, yes, typically one to two percentage points off the duty, and some states also offer concessions to first-time, SC and ST buyers and ex-servicemen. The condition usually attaches to how the property is held — sole ownership by a woman and joint ownership can be treated differently — so decide the names on the deed before it is drafted.