Circle rate glossary

The lowest value per square metre or square foot that the state government puts on property in an area. Stamp duty is charged on this value or on your deal price, whichever is higher. It is not the price a property will sell for, which is often higher in cities and sometimes lower in older buildings.

The official name of the rate list in some states, including Gujarat and Maharashtra. It lists the rate for each zone and for each type of property, such as flats, shops, offices and open land.

When the state changes its circle rates. Some states revise rates every year, others once in several years. A state can also decide to keep last year's rates.

The date from which a set of rates comes into effect. The rate that applies to you is the one applicable on the date the document is signed, not the date you started talking about the deal.

A part of a village, town or city that has one set of rates. One area can have many zones with very different rates, so match your property to its zone, not just to the area name.

The number given to a piece of land in village records. It often has a sub division, such as 45/2/A. The same number can exist in the next village too, so always note the village along with it. In some states it is called a khasra, gat or dag number.

The number given to a plot in city land records. In many cities, the rate list shows which CTS numbers fall in each zone, so it is often the quickest way to find yours.

The land record that shows who owns a piece of land, its area and how it is used. It goes by different names: 7/12 extract in Maharashtra and Gujarat, khatauni in Uttar Pradesh, jamabandi in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, RTC or pahani in Karnataka, pahani in Telangana, patta and chitta in Tamil Nadu, and khatian in West Bengal.

The land record for a plot in a city, kept against its city survey number. It shows the area of the plot and who holds it, much like a 7/12 extract does for farmland.

Under a town planning (TP) scheme, land in a growing city is re-drawn into new plots called final plots. Many rate lists show the FP numbers each zone covers. An FP number is different from the old survey number, so check which one your documents use.

The old settled part of a village where the houses stand, as opposed to its farmland. It is called gamtal in Gujarat, gaothan in Maharashtra, lal dora in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, and abadi in Uttar Pradesh. It often has its own zone and rate.

The part of a district that villages are grouped under. It is called a taluka in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka, a tehsil in much of north India and a mandal in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Use the one written in your property documents, as a suburb can fall under a different one from the nearest town.

The government office where sale deeds and other property documents are registered and stamp duty is checked. Each office covers a fixed set of areas. If you are unsure about a zone or rate, this is the office that can confirm it.

The value on which stamp duty is charged. Under stamp laws, it is the price the property would fetch in the open market. In practice, the registration office starts from circle rate value and compares it with the price in your deed.

The price written in your agreement or sale deed. Stamp duty is charged on this figure or circle rate value, whichever is higher.

The value on which stamp duty was finally charged for your property. Income tax uses this same figure when it checks a sale made below circle rate.

A separate charge for registering the deed, paid along with stamp duty. In many states it is 1% of the value. Some states put a cap on it. In Maharashtra, for example, it does not go above ₹30,000 for a sale.

Several states charge less when a home is bought by a woman. Delhi, Haryana and Maharashtra charge lower stamp duty, and Gujarat does not charge a registration fee. Usually every buyer on the deed has to be a woman to get it.

Extra charges some states add on top of stamp duty, usually as a percentage of the value. Maharashtra, for example, adds a 1% metro cess in the Mumbai region, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur, which is why stamp duty in Mumbai is 6% and not 5%.

If the price in a deed looks too low, the registration office can send it to the Collector, who decides the value and asks for the extra stamp duty. The section number differs by state: 47A in many states that follow the Indian Stamp Act, 32A in Gujarat and Maharashtra, and 45A in Karnataka. Buyers can also ask for this check themselves if they feel circle rate value is too high.

If you sell land or a building for less than its stamp duty value, your capital gains can be calculated as if you sold it at that value. A gap of up to 10% is ignored. The buyer can also be taxed on the gap if it is more than ₹50,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is higher. From 1 April 2026, the seller's rule is Section 78 of the Income-tax Act, 2025.

When the price or stamp duty value of a property is ₹50 lakh or more, the buyer deducts 1% of the higher figure from the payment and deposits it with the tax department. This was Section 194-IA and is Section 393 under the new Act.

Carpet area is the usable floor area inside your flat. Built-up area adds the walls and often the balcony. Super built-up area adds your share of the lobby, stairs and other common areas. States differ on which one they multiply by circle rate, and the difference can change your stamp duty by lakhs.

Most states set circle rates per square metre. One square metre is about 10.76 sq ft, so a rate of ₹28,500 per sq m is about ₹2,648 per sq ft. Make sure the rate and the area are in the same unit before you multiply.

Land is often measured in local units. A guntha is 1/40 of an acre, about 1,089 sq ft, and is common in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Telangana. A cent is 1/100 of an acre, about 436 sq ft, used in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A ground is 2,400 sq ft, used in Chennai. Units like bigha differ from state to state, so check the local size.

Most rate lists give separate rates for flats, shops, offices, open plots and industrial use in the same zone. A shop usually has the highest rate. Use the rate that matches how the property is used, not the building it is in.

The figure we show at the top of each area page. It is the middle rate across all zones in that area, so half the zones are above it and half below. Your stamp duty depends on the rate for your own zone, which is shown in the zone wise list.