Stamp Duty, Registration and GST on a Flat in Mumbai
The price in a builder's brochure is only part of what you pay. On a ₹1 crore flat in Mumbai, government charges come to about 6.3% of the price for a ready home and about 11.3% for one still under construction. A woman buying alone pays 1 percentage point less in stamp duty. Parking, legal fees and deposits come on top.
This guide covers the Mumbai city and Mumbai suburban districts, which together make up the area of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The rates below were checked against official sources in October 2026. They can change by notification, so confirm them before you sign.
Stamp duty
Stamp duty is a state tax on the deed. In Maharashtra the buyer pays it. Under Article 25(b)(i) of Schedule I to the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958, a conveyance of property inside any municipal corporation is charged at 5% of the market value.
The Act defines market value as the price the property would fetch in the open market on the date the deed is signed, or the consideration stated in the deed, whichever is higher. So duty is charged on the ready reckoner value if that is above your price.
For a flat bought from a developer, Article 5(g-a)(ii) charges the agreement for sale the same duty as a conveyance, on the market value of the flat. The full duty is therefore payable when you sign and register the agreement for sale, often years before possession, not when the flat is handed over.
Concession for women
From 1 April 2021, a government order under section 9 of the Act cut the duty under Article 25(b) by 1 percentage point on the conveyance or agreement to sell of a residential unit bought by a woman or by women. In Mumbai that brings the duty to 4%. The order originally barred resale to a male buyer for a set period; an order of 26 May 2023 deleted that condition.
The order is worded for women purchasers. If you are buying jointly with a man, ask the sub-registrar whether the concession applies before you rely on it.
Metro cess
Section 144F of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, inserted in 2018, adds a surcharge of 1% of the property's value to the stamp duty on instruments of sale, gift and usufructuary mortgage in the corporation's area. It is collected with the stamp duty and is often called the metro cess. The Urban Development Department fixed 8 February 2019 as the date from which it is levied.
A government order of 28 March 2020 gave a 1% concession on stamp duty and related charges in the Mumbai region, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nagpur for two years from 1 April 2020. That concession ended on 31 March 2022.
Mumbai does not pay the separate 1% surcharge that the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act levies in place of local body tax (LBT). The Inspector General of Registration's circular of 7 November 2013 applies that surcharge to every municipal corporation in the state except Mumbai. This is why Pune pays 7% and Mumbai 6%.
| Buyer | Stamp duty | Metro cess | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man | 5% | 1% | 6% |
| Woman, or women buying together | 4% | 1% | 5% |
Ready reckoner rate as the minimum value
The ready reckoner is the Annual Statement of Rates that the Department of Registration and Stamps publishes for each financial year under the Bombay Stamp (Determination of True Market Value of Property) Rules, 1995. It sets a rate for each value zone, and separate valuation guidelines explain how to apply it to a flat. The department has published the guidelines for Mumbai for 2026-27, and the sub-registrar can give you the rate that applies to your building.
If the sub-registrar believes the value in your deed is understated, section 32A of the Stamp Act allows the deed to be referred to the Collector, who fixes the market value and recovers any shortfall in duty. Compare your price with the ready reckoner value before you pay the duty.
Registration fee
Under the table of fees made under section 78 of the Registration Act, 1908, the fee on a conveyance is ₹50 for a value up to ₹5,000, plus ₹10 for every further ₹1,000. That is about 1% of the value, but the total is capped at ₹30,000. Any flat worth more than about ₹30 lakh pays the full ₹30,000.
The department also charges a document handling fee for each page of the deed. A government resolution of 15 April 2025 raised it from ₹20 to ₹40 a page.
GST: under construction and ready
GST applies to the construction service while a flat is being built. Under Notification 03/2019-Central Tax (Rate) and the Finance Ministry's FAQ on real estate, the effective rates from 1 April 2019 are:
| Type of flat | Effective GST | Input tax credit |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable residential apartment | 1% | Not available |
| Other residential apartment | 5% | Not available |
These are effective rates on the total amount charged, and they already allow for the land share of the price. An apartment counts as affordable only if its carpet area is no more than 60 square metres in a metropolitan city and the gross amount charged is no more than ₹45 lakh. The whole Mumbai Metropolitan Region is in the metropolitan list. A flat that crosses either limit pays 5%.
No GST is charged when the entire price is received after the completion certificate is issued, or after first occupation, whichever is earlier. If you pay part of the price before the certificate arrives, ask the builder in writing how GST applies to the balance.
These rates date from 2019 and still apply. The GST rate overhaul that took effect on 22 September 2025 changed only three construction entries, all for works contracts. The GST Council's 57th meeting on 8 October 2026 made no change for homes either.
Other charges to budget for
None of these has a single official rate, so ask for each in writing.
- Parking and club membership. These may be priced separately from the flat. Ask whether they are in the agreement value used for stamp duty.
- Maintenance deposits. The RERA Act expects buyers to pay their share of maintenance, municipal taxes, water and electricity charges as the agreement for sale provides. Ask what each deposit is for and who holds it.
- Legal fees. Many buyers pay a lawyer to check title, approvals and the agreement. Fees vary.
- Tax withheld on payment. If the price or the stamp duty value is ₹50 lakh or more, the buyer must deduct 1% of the higher of the two before paying the seller. Under the Income-tax Act, 2025 this sits in section 393(1), and the buyer reports it on Form 141, which replaced Form 26QB from April 2026. On ₹1 crore that is ₹1 lakh. It comes out of the payment to the seller, so it is not an extra cost, but it affects cash flow.
Worked example: a ₹1 crore flat
Assumptions: an agreement value of ₹1,00,00,000 before GST, a flat above the affordable limits, a location in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation area, a buyer who does not qualify for the women's concession, and a ready reckoner value that is not higher than the price. The example applies the metro cess to the agreement for sale as well as to a conveyance; confirm the total with the developer or the sub-registrar.
| Charge | Basis | Under construction | Ready, after completion certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| GST | 5% of price | ₹5,00,000 | Nil |
| Stamp duty | 5% of market value | ₹5,00,000 | ₹5,00,000 |
| Metro cess | 1% of value | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Registration fee | 1%, capped | ₹30,000 | ₹30,000 |
| Total | ₹11,30,000 | ₹6,30,000 | |
| As a share of price | 11.3% | 6.3% |
The document handling fee comes on top and depends on the number of pages. If the buyer is a woman who qualifies for the concession, stamp duty falls to ₹4,00,000 and the totals to ₹10,30,000 and ₹5,30,000.
Before you rely on these figures
- Confirm the duty, cess and fee for your exact property with the sub-registrar or the Department of Registration and Stamps.
- Check the ready reckoner value of the flat against your agreement value.
- This is general information, not tax or legal advice. A chartered accountant or lawyer can confirm how these charges apply to you.
Key points
- Stamp duty in Mumbai is 5% of the higher of price and ready reckoner value, plus a 1% metro cess, which makes 6%. Women buying alone pay 5%.
- For a new flat, the full duty is paid when the agreement for sale is registered.
- The registration fee is about 1%, capped at ₹30,000.
- GST is 5% on most under-construction flats and 1% on affordable ones, and none is charged on a flat sold after completion.
- On a ₹1 crore flat the government charges come to about ₹11.3 lakh under construction and ₹6.3 lakh when ready.
Sources
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/Home/schedules
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/MAHARASHTRA%20STAMP%20ACT%20ARTICLE%20WISE%20dt%2022.07.2026.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/MSA%20SECTION%20WISE%20dt.13.07.2026.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/MASTER%20COPY%20OF%20SCHEDULE%20I%20%20II%20%20OF%20%20MSA%20%20PDF%20dt.31.07.2026.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/Home/grs
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/Rarjpatr%202025/2023/%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0/12.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/Home/circulars
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/4.Mumbai_Muncipal_Corporation_(Second_Amendment)_Act_2018.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/5.Notification_of_effect_to_Mumbai_Muncipal_Corporation_Amendment_Act.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/1-Circular%207%20Nov.%202013.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/Home/notification
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/IGR_Notification_Stampduty_reduction_31Mar20.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/Home/fee_structure
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/5_fee%20table.pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/Rarjpatr%202025/2025/%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BF.15.04.2025%20%20%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%20%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B3%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A2%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%A4%20(1)%20(1).pdf
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/Home/asr_guidelines
- https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/pdf/documents/Mumbai%20Guideline2026-27.pdf
- https://gstcouncil.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-05/download_2024-05-17t161406.556.pdf
- https://www.gstcouncil.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-02/faq-real-estate-sector.pdf
- https://gstcouncil.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-09/press_release_press_information_bureau_0.pdf
- https://www.gstcouncil.gov.in/sites/default/files/2026-10/press_release.pdf
- https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/help/all-topics/e-filing-services/form-141-challan-cum-statement-deduction-tax-us-3931-UM
- https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/w/section-393-5
- https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/resources/staticpage/Real_Estate_Act.pdf
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with a lawyer, chartered accountant or your bank before you decide.
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