After a gap of 43 years, the state government has resumed collecting stamp duty on property registrations based on share certificates, along with a penalty ranging from 2% to 3%.
For decades, housing societies transferred share certificates to the first owner simply through a society resolution, with no stamp duty involved. But things changed after amendments to the Gujarat Stamp Duty Act were notified in April 2025. Now, Sub-Registrar offices are treating such transfers as liable for unpaid stamp duty — a move that’s catching many off guard. The recovery drive targets share certificates issued after April 27, 1982, or, in the case of associations, after April 4, 1994, leaving property owners facing unexpected dues.
According to Aam Aadmi Party’s legal cell chief Pranav Thakkar, the Gujarat Stamp Duty Amendment Bill-2025 has significantly changed how stamp duty is applied in housing societies. Earlier, stamp duty ranged between ₹10,000 to ₹25,000, with a flat penalty of ₹250. But now, under the amended rules, the government will recover pending dues based on the new provisions. This means a 2% penalty will be added along with the stamp duty amount. Moreover, if a recovery notice is issued, the penalty will rise to 3%.