Contents · 18 / 18
Estimate trade charges and breakeven
Updated 7 November 2026 · 5 min read · 14 Contents
Plain-language meaning
The trade charges calculator estimates the costs of one Indian equity round trip on NSE or BSE: one buy order and one sell order of the same quantity, itemised as brokerage, exchange transaction charges, the NSE investor protection fund contribution, SEBI turnover fee, securities transaction tax (STT), stamp duty, DP charge and GST, with the sell price at which the trade breaks even after those costs. It is an estimate of costs, not a contract note.
Why it is useful #
It shows how much of a price move statutory, exchange and brokerage costs consume before any gain remains, and which component dominates in each segment: STT on delivery and options, exchange charges and brokerage on small intraday trades.
Where it appears and the workflow #
Open Trade Charges Calculator from the Analytics menu under Funds & derivatives analysis, or go to /tools/trade-charges; on mobile open it from the Analytics hub or from the calculator button on the Investment catalog. Choose the exchange and segment, enter the buy and sell price (the premiums for options) and the quantity, or lots and lot size for futures and options, optionally a trade date, your own brokerage tariff and the DP charge, then choose Calculate. The result lists every component by side, the totals, the breakeven and the rate-table rows in force for the chosen exchange and segment with their effective dates.
Calculation or source #
Rates come from one versioned, effective-dated table served by GET /api/tools/trade-charges/rates, and POST /api/tools/trade-charges/calculate computes every estimate. STT follows section 98 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2004: 0.1% on each side of a delivery trade, 0.025% on the sell side of an intraday trade, and on the sell side 0.05% for futures and 0.15% of the premium for options from 1 April 2026 (0.02% and 0.1% before). Exchange charges follow NSE circular NSE/FA/73061 and BSE notices 20221109-7 and 20240927-37; the SEBI fee is Rs 10 per crore; stamp duty follows Schedule I Article 56A of the Indian Stamp Act and is charged to the buyer only; GST is 18% of brokerage, exchange charges, the SEBI fee and the DP charge. Brokerage per order = flat amount + the percentage of the order value, capped at the cap you set. Each component is rounded to the paisa on each side, and the breakeven solves (sell price − buy price) × quantity = charges at that sell price.
Prerequisites, inputs, period and unit #
Amounts are in INR. Prices and quantity must be greater than zero, and quantity, lots and lot size whole numbers; the brokerage percentage applies per order and may not exceed 10%. Enter brokerage and the DP charge before GST. The trade date defaults to today in India time, may be at most 31 days ahead, and the table covers trades from 1 October 2024. Options use premium turnover.
Worked example #
Illustrative only: an NSE intraday trade of 200 shares bought at Rs 500 and sold at Rs 505 on 2 November 2026, with brokerage of 0.03% capped at Rs 20 per order, shows brokerage Rs 40.00, exchange charges Rs 6.17, SEBI fee Rs 0.20, STT Rs 25.25, stamp duty Rs 3.00 and GST Rs 8.35: total charges of Rs 82.97, so a gross P&L of Rs 1,000 becomes Rs 917.03 net.
What high and low mean #
Higher charges as a percentage of turnover mean a larger share of the traded value goes to costs; a larger breakeven move means the price must travel further before the net P&L reaches zero. Both rise for small trades under a flat brokerage and in segments with higher statutory rates.
Positive, negative and zero #
Gross and net P&L are negative when the sell value is below the buy value or when charges exceed the gain. A charge of zero is either a published zero, such as the NIL transaction charge on BSE equity futures, or an amount below half a paisa after rounding; it never stands in for a missing rate.
Limitations and common mistakes #
One executed order per side is assumed. Split orders, contract-note rounding, clearing charges, interest, margin, income tax and STT on exercised options (charged on intrinsic value) are not included. BSE bills group A and B charges on monthly turnover, while the estimate applies the per-crore rate to this trade alone. A common mistake is entering a GST-inclusive brokerage figure, which counts GST twice.
Market-specific differences #
Only NSE and BSE equity delivery, intraday, futures and options are supported. BSE cash charges depend on the scrip group and BSE options charges on the contract (Sensex and Bankex, or Sensex 50 and stock options); NSE charges are the same for every security in a segment.
Suggested next steps #
Calculate the same intraday trade on NSE and on BSE and compare the exchange charges. Then calculate one futures trade dated 31 March 2026 and again dated 1 April 2026 and explain how the STT change moves the breakeven.
Educational use only #
This guide explains descriptive research evidence. It is not investment advice, a price prediction, a recommendation, a claim of predictive accuracy, or an instruction to buy, sell, rebalance or place an order.