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⚖️ West Bengal Court Fee Calculator

⚠️ Slab rates are approximate (source PDF has OCR limitations). Maximum cap: Rs. 50,000. Verify lower-slab rates (especially Rs. 100–500) against physical copy or Calcutta HC Bar Library practice manual before relying on calculated amounts.

State West Bengal ✓ Verified Mar 2026 ⇄ Change state

Calculate Court Fee — West Bengal

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⚠️ Always verify before filing. Court fees change via Government Orders (G.O.s). Rates above are last verified Mar 2026. Cross-check with the court registry or the official state gazette before paying.   Report incorrect rate →

Court Fees in West Bengal: A Guide for Advocates

West Bengal uses the West Bengal Court-Fees Act, 1970 (WB Act X of 1970) — a dedicated state Act that fully repealed the Court Fees Act, 1870 in its application to West Bengal (S.50). The Act was assented to on 26th February 1970 and replaced the West Bengal Court-fees Ordinance, 1969. Key amendments: WB Act XLII/1974 (no fee for defamation), WB Act XXI/1980, WB Act XV/1984 (State Govt exempt), WB Act XXIX/1985 (schedule amendments).

How is court fee calculated?

  1. Determine the valuation basis under Section 7 (13 sub-clauses): S.7(i) for money suits (amount claimed); S.7(ii) for maintenance — standard 10× annual amount, BUT widows' maintenance 1× annual ONLY; S.7(iv) for declaratory/injunction/accounts (plaintiff's valuation); S.7(v) for possession — LOWER of 15× net profits or market value; S.7(vi) for trespasser/licensee possession; S.7(viii) for partition — market value of plaintiff's share (only if excluded from possession); S.7(xi) for mortgage (principal money); S.7(xii) for specific performance.
  2. Apply Schedule I Article 1 rate table (incremental slabs with "or part thereof" ceiling rounding). Fees are purely incremental — no Punjab-style discontinuity at Rs. 500. The fee grows smoothly across all value ranges.
  3. The MAXIMUM CAP is Rs. 50,000 on all ad valorem plaint fees. Any fee computed above Rs. 50,000 is capped at Rs. 50,000. The cap is reached at approximately Rs. 47,60,000 suit value.
  4. ⚠️ IMPORTANT: The Schedule I rate table is from a scanned official PDF with OCR limitations. Calculated values above Rs. 50,000 are well-verified, but lower-value results (especially Rs. 1,000–Rs. 20,000 range) may have small deviations. Verify exact amounts against the Calcutta HC Bar Library practice manual or wbja.nic.in.

Key points advocates must know

  • 🆓 DEFAMATION SUITS ARE FREE: WB is the ONLY state in India where suits for damages for defamation are completely exempt from court fees. No court fee whatsoever (S.7(i) proviso, inserted by WB Act XLII of 1974).
  • 👩 WIDOWS' MAINTENANCE: 1× annual maintenance amount (NOT 10× like other suits). Standard maintenance/annuity = 10× annual; widows' maintenance = 1× annual only. A unique WB provision.
  • 🏛️ STATE GOVT EXEMPT: State Government of West Bengal is fully exempt from all court fees (S.4(1) second proviso, WB Act XV of 1984). Government suits and appeals are effectively free.
  • 📉 MAX CAP Rs. 50,000: One of India's lowest court fee caps (equals Bihar). A Rs. 1 crore suit costs only Rs. 50,000 vs. Rs. 3,00,000 in Maharashtra or Rs. 3,31,300 in Haryana.
  • 🏠 POSSESSION SUITS (S.7(v)): Value = LOWER of 15× net annual profits or market value (most plaintiff-friendly rule in India — other states use a single multiplier or the higher value). If profits are nil or unascertainable, use market value.
  • ⚠️ SLAB VERIFICATION: Calculated values may have small deviations (Rs. 10–40) in the Rs. 1,000–Rs. 20,000 range due to OCR uncertainty in source PDF. Verify from physical copy of WB Act or WBJA practice manual.

Specific questions

Is the court fee for defamation suits really zero? ▼

Yes. Section 7(i) has a proviso inserted by WB Act XLII of 1974: "No fee shall be payable on a plaint for damages for defamation." West Bengal is the only state in India with this complete exemption. All other states charge full ad valorem court fees for defamation suits (Rajasthan caps at Rs. 25,000 but still charges).

How is court fee calculated for a widow's maintenance suit? ▼

Under S.7(ii) proviso of the WB Act, a widow filing a suit for maintenance pays court fee on only 1× the annual maintenance amount claimed — not the standard 10× that applies to all other maintenance/annuity suits. Example: Widow claiming Rs. 5,000/month maintenance → annual = Rs. 60,000 → court fee on Rs. 60,000 (not Rs. 6,00,000). This makes maintenance suits far more accessible for widows.

How do I value a possession suit in West Bengal? ▼

Under S.7(v), the suit value is the LOWER of: (a) 15× net annual profits (preceding year) and (b) market value of the property. This is uniquely plaintiff-friendly — most states use a single multiplier or the higher value. If profits are not ascertainable or nil, use market value directly. For possession from a trespasser (S.7(vi)(a)): use plaintiff's own valuation (subject to S.11 court inquiry).

Does the Rs. 50,000 cap apply to probate as well? ▼

The Rs. 50,000 maximum cap is confirmed for ad valorem plaint fees under Schedule I Article 1. Whether it applies to probate (Art. 10) and succession (Art. 11) needs verification from the physical Act text — the Act's cap provision may be general or limited to S.7 suits only. This calculator shows probate without a cap — verify before filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is court fee calculated in India? ▼

Court fees in India are calculated based on the nature and value of the suit. Money and property recovery suits attract ad valorem (percentage-based) fees on the suit value. Declaratory suits, matrimonial suits, and some other categories attract fixed fees. Each state has its own Court Fees Act with its own schedule — there is no single uniform national schedule.

What happens if I pay less court fee than required? ▼

The court will return the plaint for payment of deficit fees. You must pay the deficit and re-present the plaint. The date of re-presentation (not the original date) is treated as the date of institution — this can critically affect limitation if you are close to the deadline. Always calculate accurately and, when in doubt, pay slightly more (the court will not object).

Are court fees the same across all courts in a state? ▼

Generally yes — the state's Court Fees Act applies uniformly across all civil courts within the state. However, High Court original jurisdiction suits may have a separate fee schedule. Tribunals (NCLT, DRT, DRAT) and consumer forums have their own separate fee structures under their respective statutes.

Can court fees be waived for indigent litigants? ▼

Yes. Order XXXIII of the Code of Civil Procedure allows indigent persons to file suits without court fees. The court examines the plaintiff's financial position. If declared indigent, the fee is recoverable from the defendant if the suit succeeds. Some states also have exemptions for women litigants, SC/ST parties, government bodies, and legal aid cases.

Are court fees refundable? ▼

Generally no — court fees are non-refundable once paid. Some state Acts provide a partial refund if a suit is settled by compromise before the first hearing. Check the specific provision in your state's Court Fees Act. Consumer forum fees may also be partially refundable in certain circumstances — verify with the specific forum.
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