The charges on a trade
| Charge | Who levies it | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage | Your broker (per tariff) | As per plan |
| STT/CTT | Government | Delivery 0.1% both sides; intraday 0.025% sell; F&O on sell side |
| Exchange transaction fee | NSE/BSE/MCX | ~0.003% equity; options higher (on premium) |
| SEBI turnover fee | SEBI | ₹10 per crore |
| Stamp duty | State (buy side) | 0.015% delivery; 0.003% intraday |
| GST | Government | 18% on brokerage + exchange fees |
| DP charge | Depository/DP | Per ISIN on delivery sells |
Capital gains on equity & equity funds
Held more than 12 months → LTCG at 12.5% on gains above ₹1.25 lakh per year. Held 12 months or less → STCG at 20%. Both attract 4% cess; STT must have been paid. Dividends are added to your income and taxed at slab.
Debt funds and gold funds are taxed at your slab rate. Intraday equity is speculative business income; F&O is non-speculative business income — both taxed at slab, with books/audit rules if volumes are large. This is general information, not tax advice — confirm with your CA.
Legitimate ways to keep more
- Harvest the ₹1.25 lakh LTCG exemption each year by booking some long-term gains and re-entering.
- Hold beyond 12 months where sensible — 12.5% beats 20%.
- ELSS gives 80C benefit with a 3-year lock-in.
- Set off losses: STCL against any capital gain, LTCL against LTCG; carry forward 8 years if you file on time.
Key terms
STT
Securities Transaction Tax — collected by the exchange on trades; rates differ by segment.
Cess
4% health & education cess added on income-tax amounts, incl. capital-gains tax.
Contract note
The legal record of your trades and charges, emailed within 24 hours — always verify it.
Set-off
Adjusting capital losses against gains to reduce taxable amount.
Test yourself
1. LTCG on listed equity above ₹1.25 lakh/yr is taxed at…
12.5% (plus cess) after the ₹1.25 lakh annual exemption — post July-2024 rates.
2. Stamp duty is charged on…
Stamp duty applies to the buy side at state-notified rates.
3. F&O trading income is taxed as…
F&O is treated as non-speculative business income.
4. GST applies on…
18% GST is charged on brokerage and exchange/SEBI fees, not on your gains.
FAQs
On each contract note and in your ledger — both available in the app/back office; AMC and DP charges appear in your statements.
Yes — tax applies when you SELL at a gain, regardless of withdrawal.
Yes, at your slab; TDS at 10% applies beyond ₹5,000 from a company in a year.
Listed equity held for more than 12 months qualifies as long-term capital gains; 12 months or less is short-term, taxed at special rates. Rates and exemption limits change with Finance Acts, so check our Charges & Taxes learn page for the current figures, and consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
Yes. The Back Office portal provides P&L statements, capital gains reports and your ledger for any financial year — exactly what you or your CA need at tax time. Contract notes for every trade are also emailed to you within 24 hours of trading.
STT — Securities Transaction Tax — is a small government tax charged automatically on exchange transactions in equities and derivatives. It is collected by the exchange through the broker and shown separately on your contract note, so you always see exactly what was charged.
Our complete, updated schedule of charges — brokerage, account maintenance, transaction charges and statutory levies like STT, GST and stamp duty — is published on our Pricing page. We believe in full clarity: your contract note after every trade lists each charge separately, so you can see exactly what you paid and why.
A contract note is the official record of every trade you make — quantity, price, time, brokerage and all charges. SEBI requires brokers to send it within 24 hours of your trade, and PCJ emails it to you the same evening. Keep them safely; they are also your proof for tax calculations.
Holding shares has a small annual maintenance charge for the demat account, listed on our Pricing page. There is no charge for shares coming into your account (credits). When you sell, a small depository transaction charge applies per debit. Your Relationship Manager can walk you through the exact numbers.
No. PCJ does not run a research desk and does not provide any investment advice, tips or recommendations. We provide the trading platform, market data and execution only; your Relationship Manager assists with account and service support, not with what to buy or sell. Every investment decision is entirely your own — SEBI registration and NISM certification do not guarantee returns, and no honest broker will promise them.
Educational content for general awareness only — not investment, trading or tax advice. Investments in securities market are subject to market risks; read all related documents carefully. Figures/rates are indicative for FY 2025-26 and may change.