You place an order for Rs 40,000 of shares, and Rs 40,150 leaves your account. The extra Rs 150 did not vanish — it went to three charges that sit on every single NEPSE trade. Most first-time investors discover them only when the contract note arrives. Here is the full map, with the numbers worked out.
The biggest of the three is the broker commission. SEBON caps it on a sliding slab: 0.36% on trades up to Rs 50,000 (minimum Rs 10), then 0.33% up to Rs 5 lakh, 0.31% up to Rs 20 lakh, 0.27% up to Rs 1 crore, and 0.24% above that. It is charged on both the buy and the sell, so a round trip pays it twice. On our Rs 40,000 buy, the commission is Rs 144.
Next is the SEBON regulatory fee: a flat 0.015% of the transaction value, again on both sides. It is tiny — Rs 6 on the Rs 40,000 buy — but it is always there, collected by your broker and remitted to the Securities Board. Third is the DP charge: a flat Rs 25 per company per settlement day, levied when you sell, for moving the shares out of your DEMAT account through CDS and Clearing. Unlike the percentage charges, it does not scale down on small trades, which is why tiny trades feel disproportionately expensive.
Put it together on a round trip. Buy Rs 40,000 of shares: Rs 144 commission + Rs 6 SEBON fee = Rs 40,150 out of pocket. Later sell them for Rs 45,000: Rs 162 commission + Rs 6.75 SEBON fee + Rs 25 DP charge = Rs 193.75 in costs, leaving Rs 44,806.25 in hand. The gross gain was Rs 5,000; the charges ate Rs 343.75 of it, about 7% of the profit — and that is before capital gains tax, which is a separate calculation on profitable sales.
The practical rule is simple: never judge a trade by the screen price alone. Add the commission slab, the SEBON fee, and the DP charge to both legs before you decide whether the trade is worth it — especially on small orders, where the flat Rs 25 bites hardest. Investors who sell their IPO allotments meet the same three charges on listing day. The market rewards the investor who counts the costs first.
Frequently asked questions
What is the broker commission on NEPSE?
SEBON caps broker commission on a sliding slab: 0.36% up to Rs 50,000 (minimum Rs 10), 0.33% up to Rs 5 lakh, 0.31% up to Rs 20 lakh, 0.27% up to Rs 1 crore, and 0.24% above that. It is charged on both the buy and the sell.
What is the SEBON fee on a share trade?
SEBON charges a regulatory fee of 0.015% of the transaction value on both buy and sell orders. Your broker collects it and remits it to the Securities Board of Nepal.
What is the Rs 25 DP charge?
The DP (depository participant) charge is a flat Rs 25 per company per settlement day, levied when you sell shares — it covers moving the shares out of your DEMAT account through CDS and Clearing.
Why is my buy cost higher than the share price I saw?
Because the screen shows the share price only. On a Rs 40,000 buy you also pay 0.36% broker commission (Rs 144) plus the 0.015% SEBON fee (Rs 6), so Rs 40,150 leaves your account.
Do these charges apply even if I sell at a loss?
Yes. Commission, the SEBON fee, and the DP charge apply to every trade regardless of profit or loss — they are transaction costs, not taxes on gains. Capital gains tax is separate and applies only when you sell at a profit.
This article is published for research and education purposes only. It is not investment advice, and nothing here should be read as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Charges described here reflect the standard NEPSE fee schedule at the time of writing.