The Maharashtra Stamp Act was passed in 1958 and applies to all the instruments mentioned in Schedule 1, on which the stamp duty is payable to the state. The Act was amended recently and the amendments include a revision of stamp duty on gift deeds, inclusion of e-payment of stamp duty, revision of penalty clauses and increment of stamp duty under certain instrument clauses.
Stamp duty rates on property depend upon several criteria across Maharashtra state. This includes whether the property is located in urban or rural areas, total cost of the transaction, etc. Earlier in April 2020, the Maharashtra government has reduced stamp duty on properties for the next two years, in the areas falling under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and municipal corporations of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nagpur. This means that stamp duty on properties in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, was charged at 5% (4% stamp duty + 1% metro cess).
Stamp duty is calculated on the basis of ready reckoner rates and the property value mentioned in the buyer-seller agreement. In Maharashtra, the stamp duty on property varies as per the location. For instance, stamp duty for a property located in the municipal limit of urban areas in Mumbai will be 5% of the market value, while a property located within the limits of any gram panchayat will attract stamp duty of 3% of the market value.
According to the Maharashtra Stamp Act, all instruments chargeable with duty and executed in Maharashtra, should be stamped before or at the time of execution, or on the next working day following the date of execution. However, if the deed is executed out of the territory, it can be stamped within three months after it is first received in India. The stamp papers must be in the name of one of the parties to the transaction and not in the name of the chartered accountant or lawyer of the parties. Moreover, the date of issue of the stamp paper must not be more than six months older than the date of the transaction. Stamp duty charges can be paid by way of adhesive or impressed stamps on the deed. In addition to this, the adhesive stamps used on the deed is cancelled at the time of execution, so that it is not available for reuse.