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A buyer purchasing a flat from an Indian developer pays three distinct charges at registration — state stamp duty (typically 3-7%, varying by state, by property attributes and often by buyer gender), state registration fee (typically 1%), and central GST (5% non-affordable / 1% affordable / nil post-CC) — each collected on a separate rail with a separate receipt, none refundable once the deed is registered, and each requiring a discrete reconciliation trail against the sale deed line-items and against the Form 26AS 1% TDS credit under Section 393(1) Sl. 3(i) code 1010.
Tie each of the four charge line-items on the sale deed to its external evidence: deed stamp-duty line to state stamp-portal receipt (GRAS / K-KAVERI / DORIS); deed registration-fee line to sub-registrar receipt (IGR / IGRSY); deed GST line to the developer's tax invoice under Section 31 CGST with GSTIN and correct rate (5% or 1%); Form 26AS TDS credit to the buyer's 1% Form 26QB challan. Confirm the deed value equals the higher of consideration or the state ready-reckoner / guidance / circle rate.
Sale deed master with agreement value, ready reckoner value, stamp duty amount, registration fee, GST amount, GSTIN of developer, CC date if applicable; state stamp portal receipt ingestion (GRAS, K-KAVERI, DORIS); sub-registrar receipt ingestion; developer GST tax invoice ingestion; Form 26QB challan register; Form 26AS credit ingestion for the buyer's PAN. Per-state stamp duty rate table with women concession flag and Metro-cess flag.
A per-unit reconciliation pack tying the sale deed line-items to four independent external receipts (state stamp portal, sub-registrar, developer GST invoice, TDS challan) with variance flags where any line-item disagrees with its external evidence; a per-state stamp duty rate calculation trace showing the rate applied, the base value (deed vs ready reckoner), and the resulting stamp duty owed vs paid; an audit-ready evidence trail per unit that any future resale title-diligence can consume in minutes.
A buyer registers a ₹2.5 crore flat at a Mumbai sub-registrar’s office and walks out with three receipts pinned to the sale deed — a state stamp-duty receipt for ₹15 lakh, a registration-fee receipt for ₹2.5 lakh, and the developer’s GST tax invoice for ₹12.5 lakh. The deed value shows all three as separate line-items alongside the agreement value. Six months later, the buyer’s chartered accountant reconstructs the transaction for cost-of-acquisition documentation, and the exercise is not a formality — each charge sits on a different rail, was collected by a different authority, and is governed by a different statute. Stamp duty registration fee GST real estate reconciliation India is the discipline of tying the three receipts to the sale deed line-items and to the Form 26AS credit under Section 393(1) Sl. 3(i) code 1010, and doing so in a form that a future resale’s title diligence, a Section 54 capital gains exemption computation, or an income-tax scrutiny can consume without re-work.
The reconciliation in one paragraph
A flat purchase in India produces four separately-payable charges: state stamp duty on the instrument of conveyance, state registration fee on the recording of the deed at the sub-registrar’s office, GST on the developer’s supply of an under-construction unit, and buyer-side 1% TDS on the consideration under Section 393(1) Sl. 3(i) code 1010 for property valued above ₹50 lakh. Stamp duty is levied under the state stamp act (Maharashtra Stamp Act 1958, Karnataka Stamp Act 1957, Indian Stamp Act 1899 as amended for state-specific rates) and paid to the state via a state-run portal — GRAS in Maharashtra, K-KAVERI in Karnataka, DORIS/e-Stamp in Delhi. Registration fee is a state charge under the Indian Registration Act 1908 read with state rules, paid to the sub-registrar. GST is a central tax under the CGST/SGST Acts and paid to the developer as part of the instalment invoice, with the developer remitting to the government. Buyer-side TDS is deducted by the buyer and remitted to the central government via Form 26QB, credited back to the developer’s Form 26AS. Reconciliation ties the sale deed line-items to four independent external evidences, and any variance surfaces at future resale title diligence or income-tax cost-of-acquisition scrutiny.
What the three-trail reconciliation looks like in India — safe illustrative developer brands
A buyer purchasing a unit from any of the major Indian listed developers — DLF, Godrej Properties, Oberoi Realty, Prestige Estates, Brigade Enterprises, Sobha, Puravankara, Macrotech (Lodha), Sunteck, Kolte-Patil — will see the same three-trail structure. Only the numbers differ by state, by project affordability status, and by construction stage.
Take a hypothetical Oberoi Realty project in Mumbai. The developer issues a booking application with the agreement value of ₹2.5 crore. Because the project is under-construction and the unit is non-affordable (above ₹45 lakh; carpet area above 60sqm), GST at 5% (without ITC) applies to the developer’s supply — ₹12.5 lakh added to the buyer’s out-of-pocket. Stamp duty in Mumbai urban is 6% of the deed value (5% stamp + 1% Metro cess) — ₹15 lakh. Registration fee is 1% of the deed value — ₹2.5 lakh. All three are collected before or at the registration event. TDS at 1% on the consideration (₹2.5 lakh) is deducted by the buyer under Section 393(1) Sl. 3(i) code 1010 and remitted via Form 26QB within 30 days.
For a Prestige Estates unit in Bengaluru with the same agreement value, the numbers change: Karnataka stamp duty is 5% above ₹90 lakh (₹12.5 lakh), registration is 1% (₹2.5 lakh), GST is the same 5% non-affordable rate (₹12.5 lakh). The receipts come from K-KAVERI rather than GRAS, and the sub-registrar receipt is issued by Karnataka’s Department of Stamps and Registration.
For a Godrej Properties unit in Delhi-NCR with the same agreement value where the buyer is female, Delhi’s women concession applies — stamp duty at 4% (₹10 lakh) instead of 6%. Registration is 1% (₹2.5 lakh). GST is 5% (₹12.5 lakh). The women-concession requires the property to be registered in the woman’s name only or jointly with a specific proportion, as notified by the Delhi government.
The point is the three trails are always distinct, the rates are always state-specific for stamp duty and registration, and the GST rate is a function only of construction status and affordability — independent of state.
The regulatory overlay
Stamp duty. Governed by the state stamp act as amended from time to time. Maharashtra Stamp Act 1958 Article 25 governs stamp duty on conveyance; Article 5(h)(A) on agreement for sale. Karnataka Stamp Act 1957 Article 20 governs conveyance; Article 5(a) on agreement for sale. Delhi’s Indian Stamp (Delhi Amendment) Act governs Delhi rates. The base value for stamp duty is the higher of the consideration in the deed or the state-published ready reckoner rate (Maharashtra Annual Statement of Rates, Karnataka Guidance Value, Delhi Circle Rate). Stamp duty is paid via e-stamping (Stock Holding Corporation of India — SHCIL) or via state government portals (GRAS in Maharashtra, K-KAVERI in Karnataka, DORIS in Delhi). The receipt from the state portal is what the sub-registrar validates before accepting the deed for registration.
Registration fee. Governed by the Indian Registration Act 1908 read with state rules. Section 17 makes registration compulsory for a sale deed of immovable property; Section 34 sets the time-limit (4 months from execution) beyond which fine applies; Section 78 authorises the state to fix registration fee. Fee is typically 1% of the deed value in most states, capped at a state-specific maximum in some cases. Registration receipt is issued by the sub-registrar at the time of registration.
GST. Governed by the CGST Act 2017 and SGST Acts, read with Notification 3/2019-Central Tax (Rate) which set the current real estate rate structure. Under-construction supply of a residential unit is taxable at 5% (non-affordable) or 1% (affordable — carpet area ≤ 60sqm in metros / ≤ 90sqm elsewhere and value ≤ ₹45 lakh), both without input tax credit for the developer. Post-completion-certificate sale is outside GST scope under Schedule III Entry 5 of the CGST Act. GST is paid by the buyer to the developer along with each instalment invoice; the developer issues a tax invoice under Section 31 CGST with the applicable rate, GSTIN, HSN, and other prescribed particulars. Time of supply for real estate follows Section 13 CGST (services) — earlier of invoice date or receipt of payment.
Buyer-side TDS. Under Section 393(1) Sl. 3(i) payment code 1010 (formerly Section 194-IA of the Income Tax Act 1961), the buyer of immovable property with consideration above ₹50 lakh deducts 1% TDS at the earlier of payment or credit. The TDS is remitted via Form 26QB within 30 days of the month-end of deduction. The developer’s Form 26AS reflects the credit, and reconciliation ties the challan-side data to the buyer’s records.
A worked example — illustrative numbers
An illustrative Oberoi Realty flat in Mumbai at ₹2.5 crore agreement value:
| Charge | Rate | Amount | Rail | Receipt source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty (male buyer, Mumbai urban) | 6% (5% stamp + 1% Metro cess) | ₹15,00,000 | State (Maharashtra) | GRAS portal receipt |
| Registration fee | 1% | ₹2,50,000 | State (Maharashtra sub-registrar) | IGR Maharashtra receipt |
| GST on under-construction (non-affordable) | 5% without ITC | ₹12,50,000 | Central (via developer) | Developer’s tax invoice under Section 31 CGST |
| Buyer-side TDS on consideration | 1% under code 1010 | ₹2,50,000 | Central | Form 26QB challan |
Total out-of-pocket to the buyer: ₹2.5 crore agreement value + ₹15 lakh stamp + ₹2.5 lakh registration + ₹12.5 lakh GST = ₹2.8 crore paid across four rails, with ₹2.5 lakh TDS deducted from what would otherwise go to the developer.
Reconciliation must tie each of the four line-items to its external evidence:
- Deed stamp-duty line ₹15,00,000 ← GRAS receipt ₹15,00,000 (match)
- Deed registration-fee line ₹2,50,000 ← IGR Maharashtra receipt ₹2,50,000 (match)
- Deed GST line ₹12,50,000 ← developer’s tax invoice at 5% on ₹2.5 crore = ₹12,50,000 (match, GSTIN validated)
- Form 26QB challan ₹2,50,000 ← Form 26AS credit ₹2,50,000 on developer’s PAN (match)
If the buyer is female and the female-concession applies in the state, the stamp-duty line changes but the reconciliation logic is identical. If the project is affordable housing, GST reduces to 1% (₹2.5 lakh). If registration happens after the completion certificate, GST disappears entirely (Schedule III Entry 5).
Common reconciliation breakages
Deed value vs ready reckoner mismatch. If the ready reckoner value is higher than the agreement value, the sub-registrar computes stamp duty on the ready reckoner value — not the deed value. The stamp-duty receipt will then be higher than 6% of the deed value. Reconciliation must catch this and either (a) update the deed value to match the ready reckoner or (b) explicitly note the reason for stamp duty exceeding 6% of the deed value. Missing this at registration is not fatal; missing it at future resale title diligence is.
GST rate applied incorrectly by the developer. A developer sometimes charges 5% on a unit that qualifies as affordable (carpet area under 60sqm and value under ₹45 lakh) — this over-collection is a credit note liability. Alternatively, a developer charges 1% on a marginal case where the carpet area is 61sqm and the tax authority disputes affordable-housing eligibility. Reconciliation must record the affordability trigger (carpet area, value) and the rate applied, and flag any inconsistency for developer clarification.
GST on post-CC unit. If the developer received the completion certificate before the buyer’s payment date, GST is not applicable under Schedule III Entry 5. Developers occasionally continue to invoice with GST on residual instalments after CC. Reconciliation must check the CC date against each instalment invoice date and flag GST charged post-CC as a refund claim.
Sub-registrar receipt value differing from deed value. Occasionally the sub-registrar computes registration fee on ready reckoner value when the deed value is lower, producing a registration receipt of more than 1% of the deed value. Same logic as stamp duty — must be recorded, not silently absorbed.
Form 26QB / Form 26AS credit missing. The buyer files 26QB but the developer’s Form 26AS doesn’t reflect the credit (typically a PAN mismatch or Form 26QB rejected due to non-standard fields). The buyer’s out-of-pocket includes the 1% TDS; the developer’s contract-receivable stays gross. Reconciliation tracks the Form 26QB acknowledgement number and follows through to Form 26AS credit, flagging any unresolved 26QB filings.
Cancellation before registration. If the deal cancels after stamp duty is paid but before deed registration, stamp duty is refundable within the state’s window (Maharashtra Section 47 — 6 months with 10% deduction). GST advances are refundable via the developer’s credit note under Section 34 CGST. Registration fee is not applicable if the deed was not registered. Reconciliation must track the paid-but-not-registered state and flag refund claims.
How a reconciliation platform handles this
Running per-unit reconciliation across stamp duty, registration, GST and TDS for a developer with 200+ registered units in a quarter is a four-source data problem — state stamp portal (GRAS / K-KAVERI / DORIS) receipts, sub-registrar receipts, the developer’s own GST tax invoice register, and Form 26QB / Form 26AS ingestion for TDS. Each source has its own reference format, its own file cadence, and its own variance profile. Purpose-built reconciliation software India ingests all four, tags every receipt to a unit ID from the sale deed, and produces a per-unit four-way match with variance flags where any line-item disagrees with its external evidence. For real estate specifically, real estate reconciliation software India carries presets for per-state stamp duty rate tables (with the women-concession flag and Metro-cess flag), Notification 3/2019 affordability rules for the GST rate switch, and Schedule III Entry 5 CC-date logic for post-completion sales. Customer outcomes include match-rate improvement from 51% to 88%, with build in two-to-four weeks on AWS Mumbai (ISO 27001:2022). For the buyer-side TDS reconciliation across all property transactions, see the Section 194-IA property TDS article.
Continue reading — Real estate cluster
- RERA escrow account reconciliation — 70% rule and CA+CE certification — Section 4(2)(l)(D), withdrawal in proportion, MahaRERA/K-RERA/UP-RERA variations
- TDS on property purchase — Section 194-IA / code 1010, ₹50 lakh threshold — buyer-side 1% TDS mechanics, Form 26QB filing, Form 26AS credit
- Joint buyer property TDS — Section 194-IA aggregation — aggregation of consideration across co-buyers, threshold trigger, per-buyer challan
- NRI property seller TDS — Section 195 vs Section 194-IA — residency test, TAN requirement, LDC route
- Cancelled flat resold — reconciliation and GST treatment — advance forfeiture, credit note under Section 34 CGST, re-sale mechanics
- Completion certificate flat sale — no GST under Schedule III Entry 5 — CC-date trigger, first occupation, developer invoicing post-CC
- Car parking charges — real estate GST treatment — bundled vs separate, composite supply, GST rate applicability
- Preferential location charges (PLC) — real estate GST treatment — PLC as bundled or separate supply, GST rate
- Maintenance deposit — non-revenue non-escrow treatment — corpus fund vs escrow vs deposit accounting
Content authored by practitioners with experience at Amazon India, Intuit QuickBooks, and the Tata Group. Meet the team →
- ▸ Indian Stamp Act, 1899 (Central Act) — Central framework; Schedule I stamp duties for instruments; states amend Schedule I-A for state-specific rates
- ▸ Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958 (Bombay Stamp Act) and MahaRERA notifications — Article 25 stamp duty on conveyance; Mumbai urban 6% incl. 1% Metro cess; women buyer 1% concession under 2021 notification
- ▸ Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957 and Karnataka Registration Act 1908 — Article 20 stamp duty 3% (up to ₹45 lakh) / 3% (₹45-90 lakh with cess) / 5% (above ₹90 lakh); registration 1%
- ▸ Indian Registration Act, 1908 (Central) — Section 17 compulsory registration of sale deed of immovable property; Section 34 time-limit; Section 78 registration fee under state rules
- ▸ CGST/SGST Notification 3/2019-Central Tax (Rate) — Real Estate Rate Structure — GST on under-construction: 5% non-affordable / 1% affordable, both without ITC; post-completion (CC/first-occupation) covered by Schedule III Entry 5 — outside GST scope