Tax year 2026-27
PTA tax calculator
What it costs to register a phone with PTA, on passport or CNIC, under the rules in force since 1 July 2026. Every charge shown line by line.
FBR's valuation for your model if it has one, otherwise the price you paid.
FBR updates its customs rate weekly. Use the rate on your assessment if you have it.
Estimated PTA tax · Passport
Rs 72,220
Slab: $501 to $700 · phone valued at Rs 186,480
- Regulatory duty
- Rs 17,600
- Sales tax (25% of value)
- Rs 46,620
- Mobile handset levy
- Rs 8,000
- Income tax, section 148(exempt on passport)
- Rs 0
On CNIC it would be Rs 83,720 (+Rs 11,500).
An estimate from the 2026-27 rules. The amount on the PSID that DIRBS issues is final. CNIC registrations after the deadline can carry a fine, and non-filers may pay more income tax.
Quick reference
PTA tax at common phone prices
At Rs 280 to the dollar. Use the calculator above for a different rate.
| Phone value | Passport | CNIC |
|---|---|---|
| $100 | Rs 7,640 | Rs 7,740 |
| $200 | Rs 16,280 | Rs 16,380 |
| $300 | Rs 25,720 | Rs 26,690 |
| $450 | Rs 38,680 | Rs 43,680 |
| $600 | Rs 67,600 | Rs 79,100 |
| $800 | Rs 89,600 | Rs 101,100 |
| $1,000 | Rs 103,600 | Rs 115,100 |
| $1,200 | Rs 117,600 | Rs 129,100 |
| $1,500 | Rs 138,600 | Rs 150,100 |
The rules
PTA tax slabs 2026-27
Each charge is set by the phone's value in US dollars. Sales tax is a percentage of the value in rupees; the rest are fixed amounts.
| Phone value | Regulatory duty | Sales tax | Handset levy | Income tax (CNIC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $30 | Rs 240 | 18% of value | Rs 100 | Rs 100 |
| $31 to $100 | Rs 2,400 | 18% of value | Rs 200 | Rs 100 |
| $101 to $200 | Rs 6,000 | 18% of value | Rs 200 | Rs 100 |
| $201 to $350 | Rs 8,800 | 18% of value | Rs 1,800 | Rs 970 |
| $351 to $500 | Rs 12,000 | 18% of value | Rs 4,000 | Rs 5,000 |
| $501 to $700 | Rs 17,600 | 25% of value | Rs 8,000 | Rs 11,500 |
| Above $700 | Rs 17,600 | 25% of value | Rs 16,000 | Rs 11,500 |
What changed on 1 July 2026
The regulatory duty on imported phones was cut by about 20% under SRO 1064(I)/2026. On phones above $500 it fell from Rs 22,000 to Rs 17,600. The budget proposal to cut the 25% sales tax on phones above $500 to 18% was dropped, and FBR argued against relief for premium phones, so the saving on a flagship is modest. The Finance Act 2026 also allows instalment payments through DIRBS once the rules are issued.
How to pay PTA tax
- Find your phone's IMEI by dialling *#06#.
- Go to PTA's DIRBS portal, dirbs.pta.gov.pk, and choose device registration.
- Enter the IMEI and your passport (within 60 days of arrival) or CNIC details.
- DIRBS issues a payment slip (PSID) with the exact amount. That figure is final.
- Pay the PSID through your bank, ATM or banking app. The phone is usually cleared within a day.
Where published figures disagree
Calculators that publish the 2026-27 rules agree on regulatory duty, sales tax and the levy. They differ on the section 148 income tax for two slabs ($101 to $200: Rs 100 or Rs 930; $351 to $500: Rs 5,000 or Rs 3,000) and on whether sales tax is charged on the value alone or on the value plus regulatory duty. We use the figures that follow the Finance Act 2026 amendments and the value-only base. On a $600 phone the other reading adds about Rs 4,400. FBR had not published a consolidated table when we checked on 1 November 2026.
Buying a new phone? See our iPhone Duo price in Pakistan and the UAE for what the tax means on a flagship, and the executive phone stack if you are buying for a team.
PTA tax FAQ
Questions people ask about PTA tax
The most frequent questions founders bring to our discovery calls: answered honestly here, so the call can go deeper.
It is the sum of four charges set by the phone's value in US dollars: a fixed regulatory duty per value slab, sales tax of 18% of the value (25% above $500), a fixed mobile handset levy, and, for CNIC registrations only, a fixed income tax under section 148.
Passport. A phone you bring in yourself and register on your passport within 60 days of arriving is exempt from section 148 income tax, which on phones above $500 saves Rs 11,500.
Slightly. From 1 July 2026 the regulatory duty was cut by about 20%; on phones above $500 it fell from Rs 22,000 to Rs 17,600. The proposal to cut the 25% sales tax on expensive phones to 18% was dropped, so most of the tax on a flagship phone is unchanged.
FBR keeps official values for listed models. For a model that is not listed, the declared or invoice value is used. The calculator takes the value in US dollars, so enter FBR's value if you know it.
Through PTA's DIRBS portal (dirbs.pta.gov.pk). You enter the phone's IMEI and your passport or CNIC, the system issues a payment slip (PSID) with the exact amount, and you pay it through your bank or a mobile banking app.
The Finance Act 2026 allows tax on imported phones to be paid in instalments through DIRBS, with the full amount due within the financial year. The rules for how it works were still to be issued at the time of writing.
It is an estimate from the published 2026-27 rules. The amount on the PSID that DIRBS issues is final. Published sources disagree on the income tax for two value slabs, so the CNIC figure may differ by a few thousand rupees.
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