NEPSE Charges and Capital Gains Tax: What You Really Pay to Buy and Sell Shares
What you really pay to buy and sell shares on NEPSE: broker commission, SEBON fee, DP charge, and capital gains tax rates that changed twice in 2083.
“The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.” — Warren Buffett, who would approve of Nepal’s lower tax on long-term holdings
Every trade on NEPSE carries three fees, and every profitable sale carries capital gains tax (CGT). In FY 2083/84 the CGT rates changed twice: the Finance Act 2083 raised them in July, then a Cabinet decision halved them in September.
This post shows what you pay today, how your gain is worked out, and a full example you can check against your broker’s bill.
💸 The Three Fees on Every Trade
You pay these when you buy and when you sell.
1. Broker commission
The rate depends on the size of the trade. Rates since 14 May 2024 (Jestha 1, 2081):
| Trade amount (Rs.) | Commission |
|---|---|
| Up to 50,000 | 0.36% |
| 50,000 – 5,00,000 | 0.33% |
| 5,00,000 – 20,00,000 | 0.31% |
| 20,00,000 – 1,00,00,000 | 0.27% |
| Above 1,00,00,000 | 0.24% |
The whole trade is charged at the rate for its band, with a minimum of Rs. 10. This isn’t like income tax, where each slab has its own rate.
2. SEBON fee
0.015% of the trade amount, collected for the Securities Board of Nepal.
3. DP charge
Rs. 25 per company per day, for moving the shares in or out of your demat account.
🧾 Capital Gains Tax: Three Rates in One Year
For resident individuals trading listed shares, the rate depends on when you sell and how long you held the shares:
| Sold on | Held 365 days or less | Held more than 365 days |
|---|---|---|
| Before 17 July 2026 | 7.5% | 5% |
| 17 July – 21 September 2026 (Finance Act 2083) | 10% | 7.5% |
| From 22 September 2026 (Cabinet decision, published in the Gazette) | 5% | 3.75% |
Companies and other institutions pay 10% whatever the holding period.
Since the Finance Act 2083, the CGT withheld when you sell is your final tax on that gain if you don’t file an income tax return.
🧮 How Your Gain Is Worked Out
graph TD
A[Sell amount] --> B[Minus selling fees: commission, SEBON fee, DP charge]
B --> C[Receivable before tax]
C --> D[Minus your cost: buy amount plus buying fees]
D --> E[Gain]
E --> F[CGT at the rate for your sell date and holding period]
- Your cost is what you paid including the buying fees. That’s your WACC (MeroShare’s weighted average cost per share) times the number of shares. Bonus shares count at Rs. 100 each.
- Holding period runs from the buy date to the sell date. More than 365 days is long-term, at the lower rate.
- No gain, no tax. CGT is only charged when you sell for more than your cost.
📊 A Worked Example
Buying
You buy 100 shares at Rs. 600 on 1 August 2025:
| Rs. | |
|---|---|
| Share amount | 60,000.00 |
| Broker commission (0.33%) | 198.00 |
| SEBON fee (0.015%) | 9.00 |
| DP charge | 25.00 |
| Total cost | 60,232.00 |
That’s a WACC of Rs. 602.32 per share. After the selling fees, you need to sell at Rs. 604.70 or more just to get your money back.
Selling
You sell all 100 shares at Rs. 780 on 19 October 2026, 444 days later:
| Rs. | |
|---|---|
| Sell amount | 78,000.00 |
| Broker commission (0.33%) | − 257.40 |
| SEBON fee (0.015%) | − 11.70 |
| DP charge | − 25.00 |
| Receivable before tax | 77,705.90 |
| Your cost | − 60,232.00 |
| Gain | 17,473.90 |
| CGT (3.75%, held more than 365 days) | − 655.27 |
| You receive | 77,050.63 |
Your net profit is Rs. 16,818.63, or 27.92% on what you paid.
Timing matters
Here’s the same gain of Rs. 17,473.90 sold under different conditions:
| Same trade… | CGT rate | Tax (Rs.) |
|---|---|---|
| sold 19 Oct 2026, held 444 days | 3.75% | 655.27 |
| sold 19 Oct 2026, bought 1 Jun 2026 (held 140 days) | 5% | 873.70 |
| sold 1 Sep 2026, held 396 days | 7.5% | 1,310.54 |
Selling on or after 22 September 2026 halves the tax on a long-term holding: Rs. 655.27 against Rs. 1,310.54 on 1 September. Holding past 365 days cuts it by another quarter compared with a short-term sale on the same day: Rs. 655.27 against Rs. 873.70.
Try it: NEPSE Share Calculator — work out buy costs, your break-even price and what you'll receive after fees and tax, using the rates for your trade date. It also adjusts prices for bonus and right shares and calculates your WACC.
⚠️ What This Doesn’t Cover
This post covers resident individuals buying and selling listed shares on the secondary market. It leaves out IPO applications, mutual funds, debentures and non-resident investors. SEBON circulars and each year’s Finance Act can change these rates, so check your broker’s bill and MeroShare before relying on the numbers.
📚 Sources
- SEBON’s revised broker commission rates, effective Jestha 1, 2081 (ShareSansar)
- Finance Act 2083: information booklet on tax exemptions, concessions and other provisions, revised edition (IRD)
- Capital gains tax rates reduced, decision published in the Gazette (ShareSansar, 22 September 2026)
Patience pays, and now it pays less tax too. 📈