Schedule I explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Schedule I is the table at the end of the Act that lists the instruments on which stamp duty is chargeable and the "proper stamp-duty" on each. It is headed "Stamp-duty on instruments (See section 3)" and is arranged in two columns. This article explains how to read it, what the copy consulted prints and does not print, how old money units appear in it, and which instruments are Union instruments under section 9(2)(a) and which are left to the States. It then points to the article that covers each group of Articles.
Schedule I has two columns: "Description of Instrument" and "Proper Stamp-duty". The copy prints 62 Article heads: Articles 5 to 65 without Article 21, plus Articles 23A and 56A. Articles 1 to 4 are not printed, Article 21 is omitted, and the copy prints no duty for Articles 28, 29 and 30. Section 9(2)(a) names the instruments on which the Central Government fixes the duty; for every other instrument, the amounts in the central Schedule are not the duty payable today, because stamp duty on most instruments is fixed by the law and schedule of the State where the instrument is executed.
This article is based on the consolidated text of the Act consulted (latest amendment shown: Act 13 of 2021). Later amendments should be checked. Stamp duty on most instruments is fixed by the law and schedule of the State where the instrument is executed, so check that State's schedule; this article explains the central Act only. The Schedule articles in this series quote amounts as "the central Schedule prints ..." and convert nothing.
What the heading and the two columns mean
The head of the Schedule is printed "Schedule 1, Stamp-duty on instruments (See section 3)". Section 3 is the charging section: it says that, subject to the Act and the exemptions in Schedule I, the instruments it lists are chargeable with duty "of the amount indicated in that Schedule as the proper duty". A reader who needs help placing a document in the Schedule can use our agreement drafting service. See our article on section 3. The copy prints some of the head with joined words ("STAMP-DUTYON"); read through such slips silently.
The first column describes the instrument. The second gives the proper stamp-duty. Each page repeats the column head. Exemptions are printed under many Articles, in the same column as the description.
Alphabetical order and "See" entries
The Articles are numbered, but the descriptions are in alphabetical order of the instrument: Agreement, Agreement relating to deposit of title-deeds, Appointment in execution of a power, Appraisement, Apprenticeship-deed, Articles of association, and so on to Warrant for goods. That is why the numbers sometimes look out of sequence against the alphabet.
Between Articles the copy prints "See" entries that send a reader from one name to another. Examples: "Agreement to lease. See Lease (No. 35)"; "Letter of guarantee. See Agreement (No. 5)"; "Dower, Instrument of. See Settlement (No. 58)"; "Scrip. See Certificate (No. 19)"; "Valuation. See Appraisement (No. 8)". They do not add any duty. They only tell the reader under which Article the instrument is to be found.
The Articles printed, and those that are not
- Articles 5 to 65 are printed, with Articles 23A and 56A, giving 62 Article heads. Article 21 is omitted (the copy prints asterisks, and a footnote credits Act 5 of 1927, s. 5), and we say nothing about what it provided.
- Articles 1 to 4 are not printed at all. The copy itself refers to "Administration Bond (No. 2)" and "Adoption-deed (No. 3)", but gives no text or duty for Articles 1 to 4. We give none. For the site's pages on instruments of the kind, see stamp duty on an adoption deed and stamp duty on an affidavit, which state their own matter.
- Article 62 keeps clauses (c), (d) and (e); items (a) and (b) were omitted by Act 7 of 2019, and the date the footnote gives for that omission differs from the others on that Act, so we give no date beyond the Act.
- Article 13 prints only clauses (b) and (c); no clause (a) appears and no footnote says why.
- Articles 28, 29 and 30 are printed without a duty.
Where the columns are out of line
In three stretches the duty column in the copy has slipped out of line with the descriptions: Articles 25 to 35, Articles 54 to 57 (with Article 56A), and Articles 58 and 65. The duties are in the right order but several lines above or below their rows. Each article in this series rebuilds them in sequence, and the official text should be checked.
Old money in the Schedule
Many amounts are in annas, naye paise and paise, and some in small rupee sums. Examples as printed: Article 5(c) prints "Eight annas"; Article 10 prints "Twenty-five rupees"; Article 19 prints "Two anna". Articles 27 and 56A use percentages. The Schedule articles quote each amount exactly as printed and convert none. Section 77A deems four-anna stamps to be stamps of twenty-five naye paise; see our article on sections 76A, 77, 77A and 78.
Old laws named in the Schedule
The Schedule names the Indian Companies Act, 1882, the Indian Registration Act, 1877, the Presidency Small Cause Courts Act, 1882, the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923, the Apprentices Act, 1850, the Indian Bar Councils Act, 1926 and the Legal Practitioners Act, 1884, among others. These are quoted as printed in the Schedule articles, each with a line asking the reader to check the current law for the corresponding provision. Footnotes that say "See now ..." are not repeated.
Union and State instruments
Section 9(2) draws the line. For the instruments named in clause (a) the Central Government is "the Government"; for the rest it is the State Government. The Articles for the Union instruments are: Article 13 (bill of exchange), Article 14 (bill of lading), Article 27 (debenture), Article 37 (letter of credit), Article 47 (policy of insurance), Article 49 (promissory note), Article 52 (proxy), Article 53 (receipt), Article 56A (securities) and Article 62 (transfer). For those the rate is the one the central Schedule prints, and any reduction or remission under section 9 and later amendments should be checked. For every other Article, the amount in the central Schedule is the central text's and not the duty payable today.
Section 9(2)(a) is printed with slips: "entry 96 in List I" there, "Entry 91 of List I" in section 1(2), and "expect" where "except" is probably meant. We quote them as printed. See our articles on section 1 and section 9. To compare a particular State's schedule with the central one, our page on stamp duty on legal documents, State by State is the place to start.
A sample of how the central Schedule reads
Two samples show the form. Article 5(c) prints "Eight annas" for an agreement not otherwise provided for. Article 10 prints "Twenty-five rupees" for the articles of association of a company. Both are the central text's amounts and not the duty payable today. The State where the instrument is executed fixes the duty actually payable.
Which article covers which Articles
| Articles of Schedule I | Instruments | Our article |
|---|---|---|
| 5, 43 | Agreement; broker's note | Articles 5 and 43 |
| 6 | Deposit of title-deeds, pawn or pledge | Article 6 |
| 15, 16, 26, 34, 56, 57 | Bonds | Bonds |
| 23, 23A, 18 | Conveyance; part performance; certificate of sale | Conveyance |
| 31, 33, 45, 55 | Exchange; gift; partition; release | Exchange, gift, partition, release |
| 35, 61, 63 | Lease; surrender; transfer of lease | Lease |
| 40, 32, 41, 54 | Mortgage-deed; further charge; crop; reconveyance | Mortgage |
| 48, 7 | Power-of-attorney; appointment in execution of a power | Power of attorney |
| 46, 39, 10 | Partnership; memorandum; articles of association | Partnership and company documents |
| 58, 64 | Settlement; trust | Settlement and trust |
| 13, 49, 37, 50 | Bill of exchange; promissory note; letter of credit; protest | Bills, notes and credit |
| 53 | Receipt | Receipt |
| 47 | Policy of insurance | Policy of insurance |
| 27, 56A | Debenture; other securities | Securities |
| 19, 36, 59, 62, 52 | Share certificate; allotment; warrant; transfer; proxy | Share documents |
| 14, 20, 28, 60, 65, 44, 51 | Shipping documents | Shipping |
| 12, 8, 17, 24, 25, 42 | Award; valuation; cancellation; copy; counterpart; notarial act | Award and others |
| 9, 11, 22, 38, 29, 30 | Apprenticeship; clerkship; composition; licence; divorce; entry as advocate | Older instruments |
Need help with the Schedule?
If you have a document and want to know where it sits in Schedule I, and where your State's schedule departs from the central one, our team can help under our agreement drafting service. We find the Article first and then the State's own rate.
Key takeaways
- Schedule I has two columns and 62 printed Article heads (5 to 65 without 21, plus 23A and 56A).
- Articles 1 to 4 are not printed; Article 21 is omitted; Article 13 prints only clauses (b) and (c); Articles 28, 29 and 30 print no duty.
- The duty column is out of line in three stretches; the order has been rebuilt in each article.
- Amounts are quoted exactly in annas, naye paise and percentages and are not converted.
- Union instruments under section 9(2)(a) take the central Schedule's rate; for everything else the State where the instrument is executed fixes the duty.
Read next
- Section 3 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899: instruments chargeable with stamp duty
- Section 9 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899: power to reduce, remit or compound stamp duty
- Section 1 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899: short title, extent, commencement and Union and State stamp duty
- Introduction to the Indian Stamp Act 1899
Disclaimer: Based on the consolidated text of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 published by the Department of Revenue, whose latest amendment shown is Act 13 of 2021, as consulted on 2 October 2026. Only the central text is covered: stamp duty on most instruments is fixed by the law and schedule of the State where the instrument is executed, and State amendments, rules, notifications and later amendments should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.