Stamp Duty and Registration Charges in Chennai

Any property, be it land or building, that you buy in Chennai has to be registered at the respective sub-registrar’s office. Without proper registration, the purchase and transfer of ownership would not be complete. 

That said, to register a property in your name, you would have to pay stamp duty and registration charges. These charges vary depending on the state and are levied as a percentage of the market value of the property in question. Read on to know the stamp duty and registration charges in Chennai.

The table below has been designed to give you an idea of the charges prevalent in 2024. 

The registration charges in Chennai are the same for both rural and urban areas. Similarly, the plot registration charges in Chennai are the same for men and women. These charges for a resale flat amount to 4% of the property's market value.

That said, keep in mind that a property must be registered within four months of the execution of the sale agreement in Chennai. The registration should be done at the registrar or sub-registrar’s office in charge of the jurisdiction where the property is located.

Here is an example to help you understand how stamp duty and registration charges for land in Chennai work. 

Let us assume that you wish to buy a piece of land in the city, with a market value of ₹30 Lakhs. According to the table mentioned above, you have to pay the following charges to register the land documents in your name.

The stamp duty charges proposed by the Tamil Nadu government apply to all its cities. Here is a preview of the stamp duty charges applicable to the sale or resale of a property in the state’s some of the major cities. 

Here is the process that you would have to follow to get a property registered in Chennai.  

• Step 1: Get a sale agreement created between you, the buyer, and the seller, clearly mentioning all of the property’s details. Make sure to prepare the agreement on a stamp paper of appropriate value. 

• Step 2: Pay stamp duty and registration charges online and take a printout of the acknowledgement you receive. For instance, if it is an apartment, the flat registration charges in Chennai would come up to 4% of its market value. The stamp duty for the same would be 7% of its market value. 

• Step 3: Attach this payment receipt and other relevant documents to the sale agreement. 

• Step 4: Book an appointment with the concerned registrar’s office. 

• Step 5: Complete the property registration by visiting the registrar’s office along with the seller on the day of the appointment.

The following is the list of the primary property documents and instruments required for land registration in Chennai.

• Proof of identity of all the parties involved: PAN, Aadhaar, Driving Licence, Voter’s ID, or Passport

• Proof of address of all the parties involved: Aadhaar, Driving Licence Voter’s ID, Passport, Ration Card, or the latest utility bills 

• A receipt acknowledging the payment of stamp duty and property registration charges in Chennai 

• Two passport-size photographs of all the parties involved 

• Sale deed, settlement deed, partition deed, release deed or any other relevant property document 

• Original property title deed 

• Latest encumbrance certificate

• Patta document

• If applicable, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) on a stamp paper of appropriate value 

• Property tax card, electricity card and water tax card, along with the latest receipts

The following table presents stamp duty charges applicable to different document classifications. 

Several factors determine the stamp duty you have to pay for the property. It includes:

• Location of the property

• Market value of the property

• Usage of the property, whether it is used for residential or commercial purposes

• Type of property and the number of floors

• Age and gender of the property owner

For an easier experience, you can simply use a free online calculator to determine the amount you have to pay as a stamp duty in Chennai. All you have to do is enter the property details, like the state in which it is located and its value.

The stamp duty and registration charges in Chennai can be paid to the sub-registrar at the registrar’s office of the jurisdiction where the property was bought. Alternatively, the stamp duty and registration charges in Chennai can be paid online as well. 

• E-Stamping: You can go to the official website of Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited  (SHCIL) and pay the stamp duty and registration charges through e-stamping. Ensure to follow the instructions given on the website to obtain an e-stamp. 

• ePayment System: On the other hand, you can also use the ePayment system provided by the government of Tamil Nadu. In this case, pay via one of the two following methods. 

1. Through internet banking

2. By downloading an offline challan from the Registration Department’s website and making payment in the partner bank branches

• Physical Stamp Paper: Alternatively, you can pay the stamp duty and registration charges in Chennai in cash by physically visiting the sub-registrar’s office and paying the required fee.

In case of any excess stamp duty payment, cancellation of a document or agreement, etc., you can claim a refund of your fee within 6 months. The amount will be refunded after a deduction of 10% from the total stamp duty paid. 

Follow the steps mentioned below to claim a refund of your stamp duty and registration charges.

• Step 1: On the official portal of stamp duty charges, tap on the ‘Application for Refund of payment’ option.

• Step 2: Fill in the information like number, year, GRN (Government reference number), and payment details. 

• Step 3: In case there is any refund applicable to the entered query number, the amount will be directly credited to the bank account mentioned while paying these charges.

To find the guideline value or market value for a property, here is what you need to do.

• Step 1: Visit the Tamil Nadu Registration Department’s website at https://tnreginet.gov.in/portal/

• Step 2: On the left side of the window, select the region for which the guideline value is required

• Step 3: Select search by street name and Registrar’s office

• Step 4: Now, click search to find the guideline value of a property, which will be displayed on the next screen

• Step 5: The search query provides details of the guideline value, including the street’s name, village’s name, sub-registrar’s office, guideline value, and property classification.

All the transactions regarding the transfer of ownership are levied with stamp duty and registration charges in Chennai. The first sale of newly constructed residential apartments has been exempted from the payment of stamp duty and registration charges in Chennai. 

This is applicable to the whole state of Tamil Nadu, but the benefit will be limited to the first instance of sale only.

According to section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, you can claim stamp duty and registration charges as deductions from your total taxable income. The maximum amount that you can claim, however, is restricted to ₹1.5 Lakhs. 

Also, these charges need to be claimed for the financial year during which you paid them and cannot be carried forward to another financial year. 

All the grievances related to stamp duty and registration charges in Chennai will be addressed if relevant issues are raised through the official website of the Tamil Nadu Registration Department. 

Log in to your account and file an online petition regarding your issue on the Chief Minister's Special Cell. You can always track the status of your grievances here. 

Failure to pay stamp duty or other relevant charges at the time of registration of newly bought property can make you liable to pay hefty penalties. 

Hence, it is important for you to make appropriate arrangements for the same when the time arrives. Especially since these charges could easily go up to a few lakhs, or crores, of rupees, depending on your property value. 

However, these costs can be easily taken care of with the help of a home loan. At Bajaj Markets, you can get a loan at low-interest rates and with repayment tenures of up to 40 years.