The STT on an option sale has risen in steps and has been 0.15% of premium since 1 Apr 2026
From 1 Apr 2026 the STT on an option sale is 0.15% of the premium, and the seller pays it. The same 0.15% applies when an option is exercised, but on the intrinsic value, and the buyer pays it. Until 31 Mar 2026 the exercise rate was 0.125%. The chart shows how the sale rate has moved in steps.
On exercise the value taxed is the intrinsic value: the gap between the settlement price and the strike, times the quantity. That basis has applied since 1 Sep 2019. Before that date the settlement price itself was taxed, so an old contract note can look different from a new one.
STT is a separate line on the contract note, apart from exchange transaction charges, stamp duty and the GST on brokerage. The rate is charged on the value of the trade, so a higher premium means a higher charge at the same rate. As an illustration, not a market price: a lot of 65 sold at Rs 100 a unit has a premium value of Rs 6,500, so the STT at 0.15% is Rs 9.75. SEBI's Aug 2026 study puts the STT paid by individual traders at about Rs 6,645 crore in FY26, up 35% on FY25. The cost calculator does the sums with the rates in one place.
Before you trade. Derivatives trading carries a high risk of loss. SEBI's study "Profitability of Individual Traders in the Equity Derivatives Segment (FY25 to FY26)" (August 2026) found that 87.7% of individual traders in equity F&O made net losses in FY26, with aggregate net losses of Rs 91,685 crore. Read the SEBI study