Reduced stamp duty for under-valued land registrations: Pay half amount and settle cases

Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant move to provide relief to those who undervalued their land during registration, the Kerala Government has announced that they can settle their cases by paying 50% of the stamp duty, thereby avoiding legal consequences.

In addition to the 50% concession on stamp duty, the registration fee will be completely waived. This applies to documents registered between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2023.

It is estimated that there are 34,422 such documents in the state. If all cases are resolved, the government stands to receive Rs 88 crore. The concession period is valid until March 31, 2025.

The waiver is applicable to cases under revenue recovery as well as those pending in court. It includes documents reported by sub-registrars and cases voluntarily initiated by district registrars. Owners of documents registered during the 2017-2023 period will receive notices from the district registrar.

Stamp duty can be paid directly at the sub-registrar’s office via e-payment or cash. There is no need to visit the district registrar’s office to make the payment. Those who do not receive notices are also eligible for the compounding scheme benefits.

Cases from 1986 onward

Cases of under-valuation reported between 1986 and March 31, 2017, will be settled through the Settlement Commission. In these cases, both the stamp duty and the registration fee must be paid.

Based on merit, a maximum concession of 60% on stamp duty and 75% on registration fees has been announced. If the notice is ignored or the payment is not made, properties will be seized. Payments can be made at the sub-registrar’s office via cash or e-payment, or at the district registrar’s office through demand draft (DD) or banker’s cheque.

If the original is not produced, the certificate will be issued in the prescribed format. Concessions are also available for cases under revenue recovery and those pending in court, provided proof of case withdrawal is submitted, with a deadline of March 31.

Under-valuation cases

2017 to 2023:

• Total number of cases: 34,422
• Expected revenue: Rs 176 crore
• Revenue after concession: Rs 88 crore

1986 to 2017:

Total number of cases: 1.84 lakh

(Revenue estimate not calculated)