If you’re buying property in Bangalore in 2026, the single biggest change to plan for is this: Karnataka doubled its property registration fee from 1% to 2% on 31 August 2025 (Notification No. RD/46/MNMU/2025, Karnataka Gazette Extraordinary No. 513). Many older articles and calculators online still quote the pre-2025 rate — this page reflects the current one.
Current stamp duty slabs
- Below 20 lakh: 2% stamp duty
- 20 lakh to 45 lakh: 3% stamp duty — but only on the first sale of a flat or apartment (this concessional band was added specifically for affordable first-sale housing under Article 20(2A) of the Karnataka Stamp Act; it does not apply to resale property, plots, or independent houses)
- Above 45 lakh, or any resale/plot/house regardless of price: 5% stamp duty
On top of stamp duty, Bengaluru (BBMP limits) adds a 0.5% cess, plus a 2% registration fee (the doubled rate) on the higher of the declared sale value or the government guidance value — never on a value below guidance value, which is why checking guidance value before you finalize a price matters (see our guidance value and Kaveri portal guide).
What this actually costs
Putting it together, for a resale flat or any property above ?45 lakh in BBMP limits: 5% stamp duty + 0.5% cess + 2% registration = 7.5% of property value in statutory charges alone, before brokerage or legal fees. For a genuinely first-sale flat priced ?20-45 lakh: 3% stamp duty + 0.5% cess + 2% registration = 5.5%.
The 45 lakh “notch”
Because the concessional 3% band cuts off hard at 45 lakh, a first-sale flat priced at 44.9 lakh and one priced at 45.1 lakh land in different stamp duty slabs entirely — a difference of roughly 90,000 in stamp duty for a 20,000 difference in price. If your unit is priced right around this line, it’s worth asking the builder whether documentation can reflect the lower slab honestly, rather than assuming the listed price and the taxable value are the same thing.
How registration actually happens now: Kaveri 2.0
Karnataka’s registration process runs through the Kaveri Online Services portal (kaveri.karnataka.gov.in). You register as a citizen, enter document and property details (the system cross-checks seller records against Bhoomi, e-Swathu, e-Aasthi, and BBMP databases), the Sub-Registrar’s office reviews the application, you pay stamp duty, cess, and registration fee online, and then book a slot at the Sub-Registrar’s office for the final signing. Since the Karnataka Stamp (Digital e-Stamp) Rules, payment generates a digital e-stamp that is itself the legal original — there’s no separate physical stamp paper to buy.
One tax-saving angle worth knowing
Under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, you can claim a deduction of up to 1.5 lakh on stamp duty and registration charges paid when buying a residential property — but only under the old tax regime, and only combined with your other 80C investments (PF, ELSS, life insurance premiums, etc.), not as a separate additional limit.
Before you sign anything
Rates and guidance values do change — Karnataka has revised guidance values more than once in the past year. Always confirm the current applicable rate and your property’s guidance value directly on the Kaveri portal before finalizing a sale value, rather than relying on any article (including this one) for the exact number on the day you register.
