Overview
- Punjab formally notified a complete waiver of stamp duty on property transfers arising from mergers and schemes of arrangement approved by courts or the SECP.
- The step follows a 2025 Lahore High Court (Rawalpindi Bench) judgment that examined provincial authority to levy duty on such transactions and ordered consultations.
- During the case, the SECP explained that Section 282(5) of the Companies Act, 2017 provides an exemption that applies in provinces only after their own notification or legislation.
- Officials describe the change as removing friction between federal company law and provincial stamp duty powers, which had complicated corporate reorganizations in Punjab.
- The SECP welcomed the notification as a positive facilitation for the corporate sector and acknowledged the High Court’s role in prompting a resolution.