Property transfer in Islamabad: CDA fee, FBR tax and the steps

A property transfer in Islamabad costs a CDA transfer fee, FBR advance tax and ICT stamp duty. On 9 April 2026 the CDA Board agreed to cut its fee from 3% to 1% of the FBR-notified value. FBR’s tax year 2027 card adds 2.75% on the seller and 1.25% on the buyer if both are filers. We could not find CDA’s formal notification, so confirm the fee with CDA Estate before you pay. Figures as of October 2026.

CDA is the Capital Development Authority, which allots and manages land in Islamabad. ICT is the Islamabad Capital Territory. A fard is the land-record extract from the revenue department.

What does a property transfer cost in Islamabad?

The Active Taxpayers List (ATL) decides whether you count as a filer. See filer vs non-filer. For the non-filer 236K rate, the bands are up to Rs 5 crore, Rs 5 to 10 crore, and above Rs 10 crore.

Is the CDA transfer fee 1% or 3%?

It was 3% from 1 July 2025, when the CDA Board raised it from 1% for property leased, allotted or sold by CDA. Zameen and Pakistan Observer both reported the rise.

On 9 April 2026 the Board agreed to go back to 1%. The minutes give four reasons: the Middle East crisis, possible Gulf investment, Punjab’s 1% local government tax on transfers, and a recent cut in ICT stamp duty from 4% to 1%.

The two July 2025 reports disagree on family transfers. Zameen says they were charged 0.25%, then 0.75% after what a CDA spokesperson called a typo. Pakistan Observer says 0.75%. We don’t know the rate after the April 2026 cut, so we don’t state one.

How is the tax worked out, and on which value?

Every charge above is set on the FBR value of the property, not the price you agree. In December 2025 ProPakistani reported FBR notification S.R.O. 2392(I)/2025, which raised Islamabad valuations by roughly 150% to 200% in many areas, though some fell. The report gives examples such as Rs 6 lakh per square yard for open E-7 plots and Rs 4.5 lakh in F-8. We didn’t read the notification itself.

Section 236K is charged on the fair market value, and 236C on the gross sale price. Higher FBR values therefore raise your CDA fee and both taxes. We didn’t confirm the base on which ICT stamp duty is charged.

If the buyer is not on the ATL, the same 236K would be 10.5% (Rs 52.5 lakh) at the lowest band. Overseas Pakistanis with a POC or NICOP who are non-resident pay the filer rate even if they are not filers, according to FBR’s 2025 FAQ. See buying property as an overseas Pakistani.

What are the steps to transfer a CDA plot or house?

The only step-by-step guide we found is Zameen’s December 2022 article, so check it against CDA’s forms page before you start.

Zameen’s 2022 article also says family transfers of residential property no longer needed a Building Control Section NOC, and that NOC validity went from three months to one year. We couldn’t confirm either as current, and we found no source for how long CDA takes.

Can I get a fard online in Islamabad?

Possibly. ProPakistani reported on 1 October 2026 that NITB and the ICT Administration launched land-record and property services on the unified Pak App. You apply on a phone or at a Citizen Facilitation Desk, with CNIC verification, biometrics and an OTP. The report also mentions electronic stamp papers for property transfers.

We found no official page, no fee and no step list. An older APP report said digital land records covered 24 of 112 mouzas, which sits oddly with a “fully digitised” claim, and it didn’t say whether CDA-allotted plots are included. Ask at a facilitation desk before you rely on it.

For Punjab, see fard online in Punjab and property transfer in Punjab. Building plans are covered in CDA building bylaws.

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