How much is stamp duty on a property purchase in Nigeria?

Ad valorem stamp duty on a deed of assignment or conveyance is charged at 1.5% of the consideration (property value). It is one of several acquisition costs alongside the governor's consent fee, registration and legal fees, which this tool does not include.

How is stamp duty on a tenancy or lease calculated?

The rate depends on the term. For a lease of up to 7 years it is about 0.78% of the annual rent; for over 7 up to 21 years it is 3%; and for over 21 years it is 6%. The duty is charged on the yearly rent, not the full lease value.

What is the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL)?

The EMTL is a flat ₦50 charged on any single electronic bank transfer or deposit of ₦10,000 or more. It replaced the old per-receipt stamp duty on bank transactions and is deducted automatically by your bank, not paid separately.

Who pays the stamp duty on a property transfer?

By convention the buyer bears stamp duty on the deed of assignment in Nigeria, although the parties can agree otherwise. The instrument must be stamped to be admissible as evidence and before it can be registered at the land registry.

Are these the only costs of buying property?

No. Beyond stamp duty you typically pay the governor's consent fee, registration fee, survey and legal fees, and any agency commission. Treat the stamp duty figure here as one line item in your total acquisition budget.

Nigeria Stamp Duty / Transfer Tax Calculator

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This Nigeria stamp duty calculator estimates the duty payable on the documents behind a property or money transaction — a deed of assignment (conveyance), a lease or tenancy agreement, or a bank transfer caught by the Electronic Money Transfer Levy — under the Stamp Duties Act as amended by the Finance Acts.

How it works

The duty depends on the instrument:

Conveyance / deed of assignment: ad valorem at 1.5% of the consideration (the property value).
Deed of lease / tenancy: a rate on the annual rent that rises with the term — about 0.78% for terms up to 7 years, 3% for 7-21 years, and 6% beyond 21 years.
Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL): a flat ₦50 on any single electronic transfer or deposit of ₦10,000 or more; below that threshold no levy applies.

The tool charges the right base and rate for whichever instrument you pick.

Example

A property bought for ₦45,000,000 attracts conveyance stamp duty of 1.5% = ₦675,000. A 5-year tenancy at ₦2,400,000 a year is charged at 0.78% = about ₦18,720. A bank transfer of ₦50,000 incurs the flat ₦50 EMTL.

Notes

The buyer customarily pays the conveyance duty, though parties may agree otherwise; the instrument must be stamped before registration.
Stamp duty is one of several acquisition costs — add the governor’s consent fee, registration, survey and legal fees for your full budget.
The EMTL is deducted by your bank automatically; you do not pay it at the FIRS.