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Brokerage Charges

STT, Stamp Duty, Exchange Fees, SEBI Fee and GST Explained

The government and exchange charges on every share trade in India — what each one is, the current rates published by brokers and how they are calculated.

Researched and written by the BestStockBrokerIndia Editorial Team Reviewed by the BestStockBrokerIndia Editorial TeamPublished Updated How we research
DP charge: one ₹10,000 sale in 2 sell ordersEach broker counts a demat debit differently.Sharekhan₹0Zerodha₹15.34Upstox₹23.60Kotak Securities₹23.60ICICI Direct₹28.32Groww₹47.20Angel One₹47.20HDFC SKY₹47.205paisa₹47.20Motilal Oswalnot verifiedSource: broker tariff pages; see the DP charges guide for the rules.

Why these charges matter

These charges are not set by your broker, so they are broadly the same whichever broker you choose. For delivery investors on a zero-brokerage plan, they can be the largest cost of a trade.

Securities Transaction Tax (STT)

A tax levied under the Finance Act on transactions on recognised stock exchanges. Rates published on broker pricing pages (checked 30 September 2026):

Segment STT
Equity delivery 0.1% on buy and sell
Equity intraday 0.025% on the sell side
Futures 0.05% on the sell side
Options 0.15% of premium on the sell side

Exchange transaction charges

Charged by the exchange on turnover. NSE rates shown by brokers: 0.00307% for equity, 0.00183% for futures and 0.03553% of premium for options. BSE rates differ slightly and can vary by scrip group.

SEBI turnover fee

₹10 per crore of turnover (0.0001%), plus GST.

Stamp duty

Levied on the buy side at uniform rates across India since 1 July 2020: 0.015% for delivery, 0.003% for intraday and options, and 0.002% for futures.

GST

18% on brokerage, exchange transaction charges and SEBI fees (not on STT or stamp duty).

Worked example: options

You buy 1 lot (75 units) of an index option at ₹100 and sell at ₹120, with ₹20 per-order brokerage.

  • Premium turnover: buy ₹7,500, sell ₹9,000.
  • Brokerage: ₹40.
  • STT: 0.15% × ₹9,000 = ₹13.50.
  • Exchange: 0.03553% × ₹16,500 ≈ ₹5.86.
  • SEBI: ≈ ₹0.02. Stamp: 0.003% × ₹7,500 ≈ ₹0.23.
  • GST: 18% × (40 + 5.86 + 0.02) ≈ ₹8.26.
  • Total ≈ ₹67.87 on a gross profit of ₹1,500.

Check your own trade in the brokerage calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is STT refundable?

No. STT is a tax on the transaction and is not refunded, whether you make a profit or a loss.

Is stamp duty charged on selling shares?

No. Since July 2020, stamp duty on exchange trades is collected only from the buyer.

Sources

  1. Zerodha – Charges (statutory charges table) — accessed 30 September 2026
  2. Groww – Pricing (statutory charges) — accessed 30 September 2026
  3. NSE – SEBI turnover fees, STT and other levies — accessed 30 September 2026