How to Read Guidance Value on Kaveri: The Number That Sets Your Bengaluru Registration Cost

A buyer negotiates hard, agrees a good price, and then learns at the registration office that the government does not care what they agreed, because the stamp duty is calculated on a different number entirely. That number is the guidance value, the official floor below which a property cannot be registered for duty purposes, and a buyer who has not read it in advance budgets their largest transaction cost blind. The quick facts for buyers: guidance value, also called guideline or ready reckoner value, is the minimum value the government sets for a property in an area for registration, stamp duty and registration charges are calculated on the higher of the guidance value or the actual transaction price, and the authoritative place to read it is the Kaveri portal at kaveri.karnataka.gov.in.

The short answer. Guidance value is the government set minimum value for a property in a locality, and because stamp duty and registration in Bengaluru are charged on the higher of the guidance value or your agreed price, reading it on the Kaveri portal before you finalise a deal is how you budget the registration cost accurately. The trade-off the system imposes is that you cannot lower your duty by negotiating a price below guidance value, since the duty floor holds regardless, so the guidance value is a number to know early, both to estimate cost and to understand the floor under which the deal cannot be registered cheaply.

What is guidance value?

Guidance value is the registration floor the state assigns to property. Also called the guideline value or, in some states, the ready reckoner value, it is the minimum value the government sets for properties in a given area for the purpose of registration, reflecting an official estimate of the area's property worth. Its central role is in computing the cost of registering a property: stamp duty and the registration fee are charged on the higher of the guidance value or the actual agreed transaction price. That means the guidance value functions as a floor, the registration cost is never computed on less than it, even if a buyer negotiates a lower price. The state revises guidance values periodically, zone by zone, to track the market, and those revisions directly change the registration cost base, which is why the prevailing guidance value is a live number that buyers should read rather than assume.

How does a buyer read it on Kaveri?

Through the official Kaveri portal, which is the authoritative source. A buyer can look up the applicable guidance value at kaveri.karnataka.gov.in by selecting the area, locality and property details to retrieve the per unit guidance value for that location, then applying it to the property's area to estimate the value on which duty will be computed. Using the official portal matters, because third party sites and brokers may quote outdated or approximate figures, and the registration office works off the official value. PropNewz has walked through how the Kaveri platform handles registration end to end in our June 11 guide to property registration on Kaveri 2.0, and reading the guidance value is the first financial step in that process, the one that tells you what the duty will actually be charged on.

Why does guidance value decide the registration cost?

Because the duty is charged on the higher of two numbers, and the guidance value is often the one that wins. The table below shows how the floor works in practice.

The comparative point is that a buyer only escapes paying duty on the guidance value when their agreed price is higher than it, and in many established or premium areas the guidance value is the binding number, which is exactly why reading it changes how a buyer should think about both budget and negotiation. PropNewz has set out the duty and fee rates that apply on top of this base in our June 6 guide to Bengaluru stamp duty and registration charges.

What happens if the agreed price is below guidance value?

You still pay duty on the guidance value, and a very low price can attract attention. Because the duty is computed on the higher figure, agreeing a price below the guidance value does not reduce your stamp duty, you pay it on the guidance value regardless, so the saving you imagined from a low price does not extend to the registration cost. Separately, registering a property at a value far below the guidance value, or below what the market plainly indicates, can invite scrutiny from the authorities, since under valuation is a known concern. The practical implication for a buyer is to read the guidance value before settling the price, so that the relationship between the two is understood going in: if the guidance value sits above your target price, you know your duty floor, and if it sits below, your agreed price governs. Either way, the number should be known, not discovered at the counter.

How should a buyer use guidance value in a purchase?

Read it early, budget on it, and factor in that it can be revised. The guidance value is not a figure to look up on registration day, it is an input to the whole financial plan of a purchase, shaping the duty budget and informing the negotiation. Buyers should also be aware that guidance values are revised periodically, and a revision can raise the base on which duty is charged, so a deal that drags on can meet a higher value than the one read at the start. The state's periodic revision exercises, and the timing of when a revised value formally takes effect, are worth tracking for a significant purchase. The seven point checklist below organises the buyer's approach.

1. Read the official guidance value for the property on the Kaveri portal at kaveri.karnataka.gov.in early in the process.
2. Apply the per unit guidance value to the property's area to estimate the value duty will be charged on.
3. Compare the guidance value with your agreed price and identify which is higher.
4. Budget stamp duty and registration on the higher of the two figures, not on your negotiated price alone.
5. Use only the official portal, since broker or third party figures can be outdated or approximate.
6. Track any guidance value revision, since a revised value can raise your registration cost base.
7. Avoid registering at a value far below guidance, which does not cut duty and can invite scrutiny.

Frequently asked questions

What is guidance value?

Guidance value, also called the guideline or ready reckoner value, is the minimum value the government sets for a property in an area for registration. Stamp duty and registration charges are calculated on the higher of the guidance value or the actual transaction price, so it sets a floor on the registration cost.

How does a buyer check the guidance value?

Check the official guidance value on the Kaveri portal at kaveri.karnataka.gov.in, the authoritative source. Select the area, locality and property details to retrieve the applicable per unit guidance value, then apply it to your property's area to estimate the value the registration cost will be computed on.

Why does guidance value matter for registration cost?

Stamp duty and registration are charged on the higher of the guidance value or the agreed price. If the guidance value is above your negotiated price, your registration cost is computed on the higher guidance value, so reading it in advance lets you budget the duty accurately.

What if the agreed price is below the guidance value?

Duty is calculated on the higher of the two, so if you agree a price below the guidance value, you still pay stamp duty and registration on the guidance value. A price far below guidance value can also invite scrutiny, so buyers should understand the guidance value before settling the price.

Last updated 2026-06-14. PropNewz Team.