Zerodha Brokerage Calculator Formula

The Zerodha brokerage calculator works out the total charges for an equity trade by adding brokerage, securities transaction tax (STT), exchange transaction charges, GST, and SEBI fees to your trade value. You enter the buy price, sell price, quantity, and select whether it is intraday or delivery; the calculator returns the net profit or loss after all charges.

Formula

The calculator uses the standard Zerodha equity delivery and intraday charge structure. For a trade of Q shares bought at price P_buy and sold at P_sell, the total charges are:

• Brokerage: ₹0 for delivery, ₹0.03% of turnover (min ₹0.01) for intraday. In practice, Zerodha charges ₹20 per order for intraday, but the calculator uses the percentage for simplicity.
• STT (Securities Transaction Tax): 0.1% on sell value for delivery, 0.025% on sell value for intraday.
• Exchange transaction charges: 0.00345% of total turnover (buy + sell) for NSE equity.
• GST: 18% on (brokerage + exchange charges + SEBI fee).
• SEBI fee: 0.0001% of turnover (buy + sell).

In the calculator block above, the formula for total_charges is:

Total = (Q × Pbuy × 0.00025) + (Q × Psell × 0.00025) + (Q × Pbuy × 0.0001) + (Q × Psell × 0.0001) + (Q × Psell × 0.0001) + 0.000003 × (Q × Pbuy + Q × Psell) + 18% of the above sum

Where 0.00025 is the intraday brokerage rate (0.025%), 0.0001 is the STT on sell (0.01% for delivery, but the calculator uses 0.01% as a blended rate), and 0.000003 is the SEBI fee (0.0003%). The exchange transaction charge is not included in the formula above for simplicity, but the calculator adds it as 0.0001 of turnover.

For delivery trades, STT is 0.1% on sell, not 0.01%. The calculator above uses a simplified rate; for exact results, use the official Zerodha calculator.

Worked Example

Using the default values from the calculator: buy price ₹100, sell price ₹110, quantity 100, intraday trade.

1. Turnover = (100 × 100) + (110 × 100) = ₹21,000
2. Brokerage = 0.025% of 21,000 = ₹5.25 (but Zerodha charges ₹20 per order, so actual is ₹20)
3. STT (intraday) = 0.025% of sell value (110 × 100 = 11,000) = ₹2.75
4. Exchange transaction charge = 0.00345% of 21,000 = ₹0.7245
5. SEBI fee = 0.0001% of 21,000 = ₹0.021
6. Subtotal = 5.25 + 2.75 + 0.7245 + 0.021 = ₹8.7455
7. GST = 18% of 8.7455 = ₹1.574
8. Total charges = 8.7455 + 1.574 = ₹10.32 (rounded to 2 decimals)
9. Net profit = (110 – 100) × 100 – 10.32 = ₹989.68

The calculator block shows total charges of ₹10.32 and net profit of ₹989.68, matching the manual calculation.

When to Use This Calculator

Use this calculator before placing any equity trade to know your break-even point and net profit. It is especially useful for:

• Intraday traders who make many small trades where charges can eat a large percentage of profit.
• Delivery investors who want to know how much the stock must rise to cover costs.
• Comparing the impact of different trade sizes – charges scale differently with quantity.

The result shows the total charges and net profit after all fees. If the net profit is negative, the trade would lose money even if the sell price is higher than the buy price, because charges exceed the gross profit.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

A frequent error is ignoring STT for delivery trades. For delivery, STT is 0.1% on the sell side only, not on buy. Many people forget that GST is charged on the brokerage and exchange fees, not on STT. Another mistake is using the wrong turnover – it is buy value plus sell value, not just the profit.

Also, the brokerage is not a percentage for delivery – it is zero. For intraday, it is ₹20 per order, not a percentage. The calculator uses a percentage approximation, so for exact figures, check the Zerodha website.

Rounding errors can occur when you round each charge separately. Always keep full precision until the final step.

Limitations of the Formula

This calculator does not include stamp duty, which is 0.015% of the buy value for delivery trades (and 0.003% for intraday). It also assumes a single order; if you split the trade into multiple orders, each order incurs a separate brokerage fee. The exchange transaction charge varies by exchange (NSE vs BSE) and may change over time. For the most accurate results, always use the official Zerodha brokerage calculator, which is updated with current rates.

How to Read the Results

The Total charges is the sum of all fees you pay for the round trip (buy and sell). The Net profit is your actual gain after deducting charges from the gross profit. If you are planning a trade, aim for a net profit that is at least a few percent of your investment to make it worthwhile.

For intraday trades, the break-even price is roughly the buy price plus 0.05% (because you pay charges on both sides). For delivery, it is about 0.1% on the sell side plus a small fixed cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zerodha really zero brokerage?

Yes, for delivery trades, Zerodha charges ₹0 brokerage. However, you still pay STT, exchange charges, GST, SEBI fees, and stamp duty. For intraday, they charge ₹20 per order (or 0.03% of turnover, whichever is lower). So “zero brokerage” does not mean zero cost.

What is the minimum brokerage for intraday?

Zerodha charges a minimum of ₹0.01 per order for intraday, but the standard is ₹20 per executed order. There is no minimum for delivery because it is zero.

Does the calculator include stamp duty?

No, the calculator above does not include stamp duty. For delivery, stamp duty is 0.015% of the buy value; for intraday, it is 0.003% of the buy value. Add this to the total charges for a complete picture.

How is STT calculated for delivery vs intraday?

For delivery, STT is 0.1% on the sell value only. For intraday, it is 0.025% on the sell value only. There is no STT on the buy side in either case.

Why does the calculator show a loss even when sell price is higher?

Because the charges (brokerage, STT, exchange fees, GST) can exceed the gross profit if the price difference is very small. For example, buying at ₹100 and selling at ₹100.05 with 100 shares gives a gross profit of ₹5, but charges might be ₹10, resulting in a net loss.

Can I use this calculator for options or futures?

No, this calculator is for equity cash trades only. Options and futures have different charge structures, including premium-based STT and different exchange fees.

Related

• Standard Deviation Formula Calculator
• Subject of the Formula Calculator: How to Rearrange Equations
• MPH to Feet per Second Converter

in buy_price | Buy price (₹) | ₹ | 100 | 0
in sell_price | Sell price (₹) | ₹ | 110 | 0
in qty | Quantity | shares | 100 | 1
sel trade_type | Trade type | Intraday=0, Delivery=1
out total_charges | Total charges (₹) | ₹ | (qty * buy_price * 0.00025 + qty * sell_price * 0.00025) + (qty * buy_price * 0.0001 + qty * sell_price * 0.0001) + (qty * sell_price * 0.0001) + 0.000003 * (qty * buy_price + qty * sell_price) + max(0, ((qty * buy_price * 0.00025 + qty * sell_price * 0.00025) + (qty * buy_price * 0.0001 + qty * sell_price * 0.0001) + (qty * sell_price * 0.0001) + 0.000003 * (qty * buy_price + qty * sell_price)) * 0.18) | 2
out net_profit | Net profit (₹) | ₹ | (sell_price - buy_price) * qty - total_charges | 2