Also known as Ready reckoner rate, guidance value, DLC rate
State registration departments publish these rates by locality, property type and floor. If the agreed price is lower than the circle-rate value, stamp duty is charged on the circle-rate value. Names differ: circle rate in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, ready reckoner rate in Maharashtra, guidance value in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, DLC rate in Rajasthan.
The same value matters for income tax: where the stamp duty value is higher than the agreed price, the tax law can treat the higher value as the consideration for both seller and buyer, subject to tolerance limits in the Act. This is one reason brokers check the government value before quoting a price on a distress sale.
Rates are revised by each state, usually yearly or when the government notifies a revision, so always check the current table for the exact locality.
Example
A seller in Noida agrees ₹68 lakh for a 1,100 sq ft flat. The circle-rate value for that tower and floor works out to ₹74 lakh. Stamp duty is charged on ₹74 lakh, not ₹68 lakh, and the broker warns both sides that the difference may also matter for their income tax.
Figures are illustrative, not market rates.
Across India
- Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana: circle rate.
- Maharashtra: ready reckoner rate (annual statement of rates), published by the Department of Registration and Stamps.
- Karnataka and Tamil Nadu: guidance value, published on the Kaveri and TNREGINET portals.
- Rajasthan: DLC (District Level Committee) rate.
Questions about Circle rate
Can a property be sold below the circle rate?
Yes, the parties can agree any price. But stamp duty is charged on the higher of the agreed price and the circle-rate value, and the income tax law may use the higher value too. Very low prices can also prompt questions from the registration office.
Where do I check the circle rate?
On the state registration or revenue department’s website: the Department of Registration and Stamps in Maharashtra, Kaveri in Karnataka, TNREGINET in Tamil Nadu, and the district collector’s published rates in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Sources
- Department of Registration and Stamps, Maharashtra · accessed
- Kaveri Online Services, Karnataka · accessed
- Registration Department, Tamil Nadu (TNREGINET) · accessed
- Income Tax Department, e-filing portal · accessed
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