PTA Tax in Budget 2026-27: No Big Relief on Mobile Phones
27 Sep 2026 · 2 min read
Many people hoped Budget 2026-27 would bring the price of imported phones down. It did not cut the tax rate. Here is what happened.
What changed
- Installments: PTA tax on imported phones can now be paid in installments from 1 July 2026. Read PTA tax in installments explained.
What did not change
- The 25% sales tax on phones above $500 stays. A proposal to cut it to 18% was not approved.
- The total tax on an expensive imported phone such as an iPhone or Galaxy Ultra is still very high, often more than a quarter of the phone's price. See PTA tax on iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
What the PTA chairman said
On 14 July 2026, the PTA chairman said that a 60% tax on phones is too high. He also explained that PTA does not set the taxes, the government and FBR do. PTA only runs the registration system.
He said Pakistan now has 37 licensed phone assemblers, around 26 million phones were assembled locally, and only about 8% of phones are imported. Read more in Pakistan phone imports and local assembly.
Relief for overseas Pakistanis?
In May 2026, the government said it was considering relief for overseas Pakistanis who bring a phone when they visit. No final rule has been announced yet.
What this means if you are buying
- Imported, non-PTA phones will stay much cheaper than PTA-approved ones, but they only work on Wi-Fi after the free period.
- Official and PTA-approved used phones keep their value well because the tax is already paid.
- A used PTA-approved phone is often the best value. Read PTA approved vs non-PTA.
Browse PTA approved phones for sale on VerifiedPhones.
