Brokerage (varies by broker)
Margin trading (MTF)
Statutory rates and fees
Rates as of 16 October 2026 (equity delivery; STT and stamp duty unchanged since 2020, exchange charges since 1 October 2024). Check current rates with your broker and exchange.
Your contract note can differ by a rupee or two: STT is rounded per contract note, and some brokers bill DP, pledge and GST on interest in the ledger instead.
TradeYantra's Tradebook shows the true cost of each trade, including MTF interest.
An arithmetic calculator using the rates you see above. It is not investment, tax or legal advice.
What does a delivery trade really cost in India?
A delivery (CNC) trade in Indian equities pays far more than brokerage. Statutory charges, the depository fee and, if the position is funded, interest all come on top. On a swing trade the biggest single item is usually not brokerage at all: it is STT.
Rates below are as of October 2026 — check current rates before relying on them.
The components
| Charge | Rate | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| STT (securities transaction tax) | 0.1% | buy value and sell value |
| Exchange transaction charge (NSE) | 0.00297% | buy and sell value |
| SEBI turnover fee | ₹10 per crore (0.0001%) | buy and sell value |
| IPFT (NSE investor protection fund) | ₹10 per crore (0.0001%) | buy and sell value |
| Stamp duty | 0.015% | buy value only |
| GST | 18% | brokerage + exchange charge + SEBI fee + IPFT |
| DP charge | flat, per scrip, per sell day | typically about ₹12.50–₹16 + GST; varies by broker |
| Brokerage | varies by broker | from ₹0 to a flat fee per order |
| MTF interest | daily, on the funded amount | varies by broker, often 12–18% a year |
Worked example: 200 shares, held 20 days
Buy 200 shares at ₹500 and sell them at ₹550, twenty days later.
- Buy value: 200 × ₹500 = ₹1,00,000
- Sell value: 200 × ₹550 = ₹1,10,000
- Turnover (buy + sell): ₹2,10,000
- Gross profit: 200 × ₹50 = ₹10,000
For the example, assume brokerage of ₹20 per order and a DP charge of ₹13.50 + GST.
| Charge | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| STT | 0.1% × ₹1,00,000 + 0.1% × ₹1,10,000 = ₹100 + ₹110 | ₹210.00 |
| Exchange charge | 0.00297% × ₹2,10,000 | ₹6.24 |
| SEBI fee | 0.0001% × ₹2,10,000 | ₹0.21 |
| IPFT | 0.0001% × ₹2,10,000 | ₹0.21 |
| Stamp duty | 0.015% × ₹1,00,000 | ₹15.00 |
| Brokerage | ₹20 × 2 orders | ₹40.00 |
| GST | 18% × (₹40.00 + ₹6.24 + ₹0.21 + ₹0.21) = 18% × ₹46.66 | ₹8.40 |
| DP charge | ₹13.50 + 18% GST (₹2.43) | ₹15.93 |
| Total | ₹295.99 |
- Net profit: ₹10,000 − ₹295.99 = ₹9,704.01
- Charges are about 0.14% of turnover, or about 3% of the gross profit.
- STT alone is ₹210 of the ₹295.99 — about 71%.
With a broker charging ₹0 brokerage on delivery, the brokerage line drops out and GST falls to 18% × ₹6.66 = ₹1.20, so the total is ₹248.79. Brokerage is not where most of the cost sits.
Your contract note may differ from this by a few paise, because each charge is rounded per order. Some charges, such as the DP charge, are often billed to your ledger rather than shown on the contract note, so check both.
The same trade with MTF funding
Now suppose half the position — ₹50,000 — is funded through MTF at 15% a year, for the same 20 days.
- Interest = ₹50,000 × 15% × 20 ÷ 365 = ₹410.96
- Total cost: ₹295.99 + ₹410.96 = ₹706.95
- Net profit: ₹10,000 − ₹706.95 = ₹9,293.05
Charges have more than doubled, from about 3% to about 7% of the gross profit. The interest grows every day the position is held, so a funded trade held for six weeks instead of three costs twice as much in interest. Some brokers also add GST on the interest, or charge pledge and unpledge fees on MTF positions; check your broker's rate card.
Losing trades pay too
Charges do not depend on the result. If the same 200 shares were sold at ₹480 instead, the loss of ₹4,000 would grow by about ₹281 — almost the same as on the winner — since STT and the other charges are a percentage of the value traded. Small positions suffer most: the DP charge is flat, so on a ₹20,000 trade it is a far bigger share of the result.
That is why charges belong in your strategy's arithmetic. The Edge Calculator shows how charges divided by your risk per trade raise the win rate you need to break even, and the Position Size Calculator sizes the trade before you place it.
Educational content only. It is not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Prices in examples and illustrations are made up. Patterns and rules fail often; past behaviour guarantees nothing.