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Securities Transaction Tax (STT): rates, history and who pays
Securities Transaction Tax is a small tax added to almost every trade on an exchange. This guide shows the rate for each kind of trade, how the rate on futures and options has moved since 2012, and what changed on 1 April 2026.
7 min read · Last checked 1 Nov 2026. The rates and rules in this guide come from our dated rules data and were last checked against their sources on that day.
Published 1 Nov 2026. Last updated 1 Nov 2026.
What STT is
Securities Transaction Tax (STT) is a tax charged by the government on trades in shares, futures and options made on a recognised stock exchange. It is a percentage of the value of the trade, and it is charged whether the trade makes a profit or a loss. Your broker adds it to the charges on the contract note.
Two words used below: a segment is the kind of trade, and the premium is the price paid for an option contract. Options STT is worked out on the premium, not on the larger underlying value.
Current rates by segment
These are the rates in force on 30 Oct 2026, from our data. The latest change started on 1 Apr 2026.
| Segment | Charged on | Buy side | Sell side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery (shares kept beyond the day) | Trade value | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Intraday (bought and sold the same day) | Trade value | 0% | 0.025% |
| Futures | Trade value | 0% | 0.05% |
| Options (sold) | Premium | 0% | 0.15% |
| Options, exercised by the buyer | Settlement (intrinsic) value | 0.15% | 0% |
A rate of 0% means that side pays no STT for that segment.
Who pays it
It depends on the segment. From the rates above:
- Delivery (shares kept beyond the day): Buyer and seller, each (0.1% each).
- Intraday (bought and sold the same day): Seller only.
- Futures: Seller only.
- Options (sold): Seller only.
- Options, exercised by the buyer: Buyer only.
STT is a government tax, so it is the same at every broker. Our tax calculator does not treat STT as a deductible expense when it works out capital gains.
How futures and options STT changed
Delivery STT has been 0.1% on each side across the whole period in our data, and intraday STT has not moved either. The rates on futures and options sales have changed several times.
| From | Futures sale | Options sale (premium) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2012 | 0.017% | 0.017% | NSE circular NSE/FATAX/20990 (12 Jun 2012), STT rates from 1 Jul 2012 (opens in a new tab) |
| 1 Jun 2013 | 0.01% | 0.017% | NSE circular NSE/FATAX/23500 (24 May 2013), STT rates from 1 Jun 2013 (opens in a new tab) |
| 1 Jun 2016 | 0.01% | 0.05% | NSE circular NSE/FATAX/32385 (16 May 2016), STT rates from 1 Jun 2016 (opens in a new tab) |
| 1 Apr 2023 | 0.0125% | 0.0625% | NSE circular NSE/FATAX/56235 (1 Apr 2023), STT rates from 1 Apr 2023 (opens in a new tab) |
| 1 Oct 2024 | 0.02% | 0.1% | NSE circular NSE/FATAX/63809 (9 Sep 2024), STT rates from 1 Oct 2024 (opens in a new tab) |
| 1 Apr 2026 | 0.05% | 0.15% | NSE circular NSE/FATAX/73524 (31 Mar 2026), STT rates from 1 Apr 2026 (opens in a new tab) |
Our data starts in 1 Jul 2012 because that is the earliest date for which every column is confirmed from an exchange circular.
Notes on each change
- 1 Jul 2012: Series starts here because it is the earliest date for which every column is confirmed from an exchange circular. Delivery was 0.125% on each side until 30 Jun 2012 (NSE/FATAX/20990). Futures, option-sale and option-exercise figures are the "effective rate till 31.05.2013" in NSE/FATAX/23500 (0.017%, 0.017%, 0.125%); that circular names no F&O change after the one of 15 May 2008. Delivery applies to equity shares; equity-oriented fund units were taxed differently (0.001% on sale from 1 Jun 2013) and are not modelled. Options exercised: the buyer pays on the settlement (intrinsic) value.
- 1 Jun 2013: Finance Act 2013: futures sale 0.017% to 0.01%. Options sale stayed 0.017% (some secondary sources date the move to 0.05% to 2013; the NSE circulars show it happened in 2016).
- 1 Jun 2016: Finance Act 2016: sale of an option 0.017% to 0.05%. A 2016 Zerodha bulletin (zerodha.com/marketintel/bulletin/52953) and Business Standard agree. Wikipedia describes the 0.05% as a 2013 cut; the NSE circular, as the exchange record, is followed.
- 1 Apr 2023: Finance Act 2023: futures 0.01% to 0.0125%, option sale 0.05% to 0.0625%. The text of NSE/FATAX/56235 could not be machine-read, so the new rates are confirmed from the "upto 30 Sep 2024" figures in NSE/FATAX/63809 and from the Upstox charges page ("STT/CTT from 1st April 2023"). The 24 Mar 2023 typographical error (0.021%) was corrected by the Finance Minister before enactment.
- 1 Oct 2024: Finance (No. 2) Act 2024: futures 0.0125% to 0.02%, option sale 0.0625% to 0.1%; exercise stays 0.125%.
- 1 Apr 2026: Finance Act 2026 (assent 30 Mar 2026). NSE circular 02/2026 table covers "Sale of a futures in securities" (equity futures) 0.02% to 0.05%, option sale 0.10% to 0.15%, option exercised 0.125% to 0.15%. Commodity (CTT) rates are separate and not modelled.
What changed on 1 April 2026
From 1 Apr 2026 the STT on futures and options went up. This follows the Finance Act 2026 and the NSE circular listed in the sources.
| Segment | Until 31 Mar 2026 | From 1 Apr 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Futures | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| Options (sold) | 0.1% | 0.15% |
| Options, exercised by the buyer | 0.125% | 0.15% |
The rates for delivery and intraday did not change. Commodity derivatives pay a separate tax that this guide does not cover.
A worked example
Suppose you sell futures worth ₹10,00,000 (a made-up figure). STT on the sale is the sale value times the rate.
| Period | Rate | STT |
|---|---|---|
| Until 31 Mar 2026 | 0.02% | ₹200 |
| From 1 Apr 2026 | 0.05% | ₹500 |
STT is one line among several. To see it next to brokerage, exchange charges, GST and the rest on a trade of your own, use the brokerage calculator.
What this guide leaves out
- Commodity transaction tax, which is separate and not in our data.
- Sales of equity-oriented fund units, which were taxed differently from June 2013 and are not modelled (see the note on the first row above).
- How STT affects your income tax. See the guide on capital gains tax.
Try it with your numbers
Sources
- NSE circular NSE/FATAX/20990 (12 Jun 2012), STT rates from 1 Jul 2012 (opens in a new tab) Checked 1 Nov 2026.
- NSE circular NSE/FATAX/23500 (24 May 2013), STT rates from 1 Jun 2013 (opens in a new tab) Checked 1 Nov 2026.
- NSE circular NSE/FATAX/32385 (16 May 2016), STT rates from 1 Jun 2016 (opens in a new tab) Checked 1 Nov 2026.
- NSE circular NSE/FATAX/56235 (1 Apr 2023), STT rates from 1 Apr 2023 (opens in a new tab) Checked 1 Nov 2026.
- NSE circular NSE/FATAX/63809 (9 Sep 2024), STT rates from 1 Oct 2024 (opens in a new tab) Checked 1 Nov 2026.
- NSE circular NSE/FATAX/73524 (31 Mar 2026), STT rates from 1 Apr 2026 (opens in a new tab) Checked 1 Nov 2026.
How we gather and date these is explained in the methodology. Spotted a mistake? See corrections.