Stamp duty on property transfer waived

ISLAMABAD:

The Government of Punjab, in line with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2017, has notified a complete waiver of stamp duty on property transfers arising from mergers and schemes of arrangement approved by the courts or the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

The notification follows a judgment of the Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi Bench, reported as 2025 CLD 587, delivered by Justice Jawad Hassan and Justice Malik Javid Iqbal Wains, according to a press release issued by the SECP on Saturday. The case examined whether the Punjab government could levy stamp duty on merger schemes sanctioned by the courts or the SECP.

During the proceedings, the SECP informed the court that under Section 282(5) of the Companies Act, 2017, companies with registered offices in the Islamabad Capital Territory are exempt from stamp duty on property transfers arising from mergers or schemes of arrangement approved by the court or the SECP.