What are statutory charges in stock trading?

Statutory charges are the charges you can’t negotiate with any broker because they’re fixed by regulation or the government, not by broker policy. This bucket includes Securities Transaction Tax (STT), GST on brokerage and certain fees, stamp duty, SEBI’s turnover fee, and exchange transaction charges. Every one of these applies regardless of which broker you use, though the exact amount can vary by segment (equity delivery, intraday, or F&O) and by whether you’re buying or selling. Brokerage and DP charges, by contrast, are broker-specific and can be zero on some plans. When you compare brokers, you focus on the brokerage and DP charges, since that’s where real differences exist, while treating statutory charges as a fixed cost layered on top no matter who you trade with.