Shimla, Sep 1 (IANS) If you are planning to buy land in Himachal Pradesh or there is division in family property, the Himachal Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, is going to relax rules, especially for the women of the family.

During the Monsoon Session of the legislative Assembly, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday announced significant changes to the rules regarding stamp duty relating to property transactions and registration.

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi informed the Assembly that with the exception of property sales and gifts, stamp duty rates for many other types of documents had remained unchanged for years.

Furthermore, to eliminate the confusion caused among the public by frequent minor amendments to the old rules, the government has decided to replace the entire existing list with a new, simplified list (Schedule 1-A).

The Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, has been introduced with this objective.

The primary aim of the Bill is to modernise and simplify the outdated and complex laws of 1899, making them clear and straightforward.

What does the new Bill say? If a woman registers a property worth up to Rs 1 crore in her name or receives a property as a gift, she will be required to pay a stamp duty of only 4 per cent. For properties valued above Rs 1 crore, the tax rate will be eight per cent. For men and others, the stamp duty has been fixed at six per cent for property registration up to Rs 40 lakh and eight per cent for properties valued above Rs 40 lakh.

However, the property transfer within the family becomes much cheaper. The government has provided significant relief regarding property transfers between spouses or among blood relatives such as parents and children.

Now, the stamp fee for transferring family property will be merely 0.1 per cent of the total property value.

For cases involving non-residents and Section 118, no distinction is made between men and women in cases where special permission under Section 118 is obtained to acquire land from the state government or take it on lease.

In such instances, a substantial stamp duty of 12 per cent must be paid directly. The standard affidavits prepared at tehsil offices will now require a Rs 100 stamp. However, the cost of executing legal documents for child adoption (adoption deeds) will now be Rs 2,000.

--IANS

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