ISLAMABAD – Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) unveiled shocking details about taxes on imported mobile phones, sending ripples across tech and consumer markets in Pakistan.
According to media reports, FBR informed National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance that total tax on mobile phones now includes customs duty, mobile levy, regulatory duty, sales tax, and withholding tax, all calculated based on the phone’s declared value.
FBR confirmed that actual price of mobile phones is determined under “valuation ruling.” For models without pre-set valuation, prices are set based on import records from the past 90 days, a move that could leave some buyers in for a hefty surprise.
Taxes on Mobile Phones
| Phone value | Mobile Levy | Regulatory Duty | Sales Tax | Withholding Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $30 | 100 | 300 | 18% | 70 |
| $30 – $100 | 200 | 3,000 | 18% | 930 |
| $100 – $200 | 600 | 7,500 | 18% | 970 |
| $200 – $350 | 1,800 | 11,000 | 18% | 5,000 |
| $350 – $500 | 4,000 | 15,000 | 18% | 5,000 |
| Over $500 | 8,000 (16,000 if > $700) | 22,000 | 25% | 1,150 |
These taxes are said to inflate cost of mobile phones, especially premium models, and may reshape the import market in Pakistan. Consumers and mobile retailers alike are now bracing for the full impact of this stringent taxation policy.
With such sky-high duties and taxes, the era of cheap imported phones in Pakistan may soon be a thing of the past.
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