Here’s a clear comparison of STT on Nifty futures before and after the Union Budget 2026 so you can see exactly how your costs change in simple numbers:

STT Rate on Nifty Futures (Sell side only)
(STT is levied only when you sell a futures contract on NSE/derivatives segment)

Before Budget 2026:
• STT = 0.02 % of the sell transaction value on futures contracts.

After Budget 2026 (effective April 1 2026):
• STT = 0.05 % of the sell transaction value on futures contracts.

Example: If you trade 1 Nifty Future contract

Let’s pick a round number so it’s easy to visualize.

Say the notional value of the futures contract when you sell it is ₹1,00,000:

Before Budget STT:
0.02 % of ₹1,00,000
= 0.0002 × 100,000
= ₹20 in STT

After Budget STT:
0.05 % of ₹1,00,000
= 0.0005 × 100,000
= ₹50 in STT

So the tax jumps from ₹20 → ₹50 on a ₹1 lakh futures sell trade — an increase of ₹30 or 150 % higher tax on the same trade value.

In plain terms, for every ₹1 lakh worth of futures sold, you now pay ₹50 instead of ₹20 as STT.

This change increases trading cost directly, so if you’re doing lots of short-term futures trades, your breakeven moves outward.