Securities Transaction Tax (STT) is a tax on buying and selling stocks and other securities on Indian stock exchanges. STT rates on futures and options (F&O) changed on 1 April 2026. Equity delivery and intraday rates remain unchanged.
STT charges by order type
| Order type | Rate | Applicable side |
|---|---|---|
| Equity intraday | 0.025% (₹25 per lakh) | Sell side only |
| Equity delivery | 0.1% (₹100 per lakh) | Both buy and sell sides |
| Options (exercised) | 0.15% of intrinsic value | Options bought and exercised |
| Options (shorted) | 0.15% of the premium | Options that are shorted |
| Futures | 0.05% (₹50 per lakh) | Sell side only |
The F&O rate changes took effect from 1 April 2026 as per Budget 2026–27. The previous rates were 0.02% for futures, 0.1% for options shorted, and 0.125% for exercised options.
How STT is rounded off
STT is rounded to the nearest rupee based on the paise portion:
- If the paise portion is 50 or more, STT rounds up (e.g., ₹100.60 becomes ₹101).
- If the paise portion is less than 50, STT rounds down (e.g., ₹100.40 becomes ₹100).
How to calculate average price for delivery trades
Since STT applies to both the buy and sell side for delivery trades, you need to calculate the average price first:
- Average price = (Total cost to buy shares + Total revenue from selling shares) ÷ Total number of shares bought and sold
- Average price = [(Buy Qty × Buy Price) + (Sell Qty × Sell Price)] ÷ (Buy Qty + Sell Qty)
Example calculations
Equity intraday
- Buy: 500 shares at ₹100 each.
- Sell: 500 shares at ₹105 each.
- Average price = [(500 × ₹100) + (500 × ₹105)] ÷ 1,000 = ₹102.50.
- STT (on sell side) = 500 × ₹102.50 × 0.025% = ₹13 (₹12.81 rounded up).
Equity delivery
- Buy: 500 shares at ₹100 each.
- Sell: 500 shares at ₹105 each.
- STT on buy = 500 × ₹100 × 0.1% = ₹50.
- STT on sell = 500 × ₹105 × 0.1% = ₹53 (₹52.50 rounded up).
Options (exercised)
STT on the intrinsic value of an exercised option contract:
- 1 lot of CE = 50 units.
- Strike price = ₹17,300.
- Spot price = ₹17,350.
- Intrinsic value for 1 lot = (₹17,350 − ₹17,300) × 50 units = ₹2,500.
- STT on intrinsic value = 0.15% × ₹2,500 = ₹4 (₹3.75 rounded up).
Options (shorted)
STT on the premium for shorted options:
- 1 lot = 50 units.
- Strike price = ₹17,300.
- Premium received = ₹60 per lot.
- Total premium received = ₹60 × 50 units = ₹3,000.
- STT on premium = 0.15% × ₹3,000 = ₹5 (₹4.50 rounded up).
Futures
- Sell: 1 lot of XYZ futures contracts.
- Price of 1 lot = ₹7,50,000.
- STT (on sell side) = 0.05% × ₹7,50,000 = ₹375.
You can find all charges involved in trading and investing on the Zerodha charges page. Use the brokerage calculator to calculate charges for any specific trade.