Stamp Act 1949 · Updated to 1 Jan 2026 · Part VII · Instruments Not Duly Stamped
55. Agreements evidenced by letters how stamped
Feedback & supportWhere a contract or agreement of any kind is effected by correspondence consisting of two or more letters and any one of the letters bears the proper stamp the contract or agreement shall be deemed to be duly stamped.
duly stamped
“duly stamped”, as applied to an instrument, means — (a) the instrument bears an adhesive or impressed stamp of not less than the proper amount or the amount of initial duty or the amount of advance duty paid under subsection 37(1) and that such stamp has been affixed or used in accordance with the law for the time being in force; (b) any official receipt for the proper amount or the amount of initial duty or the amount of advance duty is affixed to the instrument; (c) a stamp certificate for the proper amount or the amount of initial duty or the amount of advance duty is attached to the *NOTE―The Securities Industry Act 1983 was repealed by the Capital Market and Services Act 2007 —see section 381…
Where an agreement is evidenced by one or more letters between parties, which letters were not stamped before being used, it shall be lawful for the Collector, on being satisfied that the omission to have the letter or letters stamped did not arise from an intention to evade the payment of stamp duty, to affix the proper stamp on the letter or any one of the letters evidencing the contract on payment of the duty.
Collector
“Collector” includes the Collector of Stamp Duties and every Deputy Collector of Stamp Duties appointed under section 3;
(Deleted by Act 831)
Where a letter is so stamped all the letters forming together the agreement may be used in evidence to prove the agreement stated or partly stated in the letter so stamped.