Khata
The municipal property-tax account (famous in Bengaluru: A-khata vs B-khata, now e-khata) — needed for tax, loans and approvals, but not proof of ownership.
Definition
Khata literally means 'account'. In Karnataka — and especially Bengaluru under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) — it is the municipal record of a property for property-tax purposes, listing the owner's name, property dimensions, location and tax assessment details. It comes as two documents: the Khata Certificate (a short confirmation that the property stands in your name in the municipal register) and the Khata Extract (a detailed statement of the property's particulars and assessment).
In Bengaluru the distinction between A-Khata and B-Khata is critical. A-Khata properties are fully compliant with municipal norms; B-Khata properties (kept in a separate register) have violations such as unauthorized layouts or missing approvals, which restricts building licences, loans and resale value. BBMP has been digitizing the system as e-Khata: through 2025 it made e-Khata mandatory in phases — including for online building plan approvals from 1 July 2025 — and opened an online process for converting B-Khata properties to A-Khata. Buyers of Bengaluru property should now insist on seeing the e-Khata.
A Khata is obtained from the local municipal body — in Bengaluru via BBMP (e-Khata services on BBMP's online portals, with Khata transfer after a sale done through BBMP's Sakala-tracked process). Modest statutory fees apply (commonly cited BBMP figures are about Rs 25 for a Khata Certificate and Rs 100 for a Khata Extract, with a Khata-transfer administrative fee of 2% of the stamp duty paid on the sale deed).
The big pitfall: a Khata is not legal proof of ownership. It only establishes who is assessed for property tax. Ownership is proven by the registered sale deed and title chain — courts and every major property portal stress this. Conversely, having a registered sale deed but no Khata transfer means the municipal records still show the old owner, causing tax and approval headaches.
Example
After registering his sale deed for a Bengaluru flat, Arun applied to BBMP for Khata transfer and obtained the e-Khata so future property-tax bills and any building approvals would be in his name.
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Sources
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