In its effort to discourage the mobile phone smuggling mafias in the country, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reduced the tax on imported phones by upto 45%, as reported by PhoneWorld. According to the new tax slabs on mobile phones detailed by FBR, now international travelers who are bringing mobile phones to Pakistan from abroad will have to pay slightly lower taxes.
It is worth mentioning here that PTA and FBR are working hard to implement a smuggling-free online system in order to curb the use of illegal/smuggled phones, which poses a big threat to Pakistan’s economy. In order to charge taxes/ custom duties from international travelers who have brought phones in Pakistan, FBR has asked them to register their phones via the procedure prescribed by PTA i.e. Device Identification Registration & Blocking System (DIRBS) and also told them to beware of the smuggling mafia who are trying to either use their credentials or sell them illegal mobiles. However, as we reported previously, PTA’s DIRBS system is probably malfunctioning due to which high taxes/customs duty is being charged on low-end mobile phones.
Moreover, it is pertinent to note here that due to a recent course of events where low-end mobile phone users were charged with up-to PKR 60,000/- custom duty/tax for a phone that costs no more than PKR 4,000, it has become difficult for users to decide whether you should register a smartphone or not. You can have a look at our guide to register a phone.
With the reduction in taxes on imported phones, FBR is encouraging international travelers to register their phones without bewilderment. It must also be kept in mind that if international travelers register their phones after the time frame of 60 days, they will have to pay an extra 10 % fine along with the tax.
