The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) taxes on mobile phones have been removed, according to recent press reports that have been explained by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The PTA asserts that the Pakistani government has not informed them of any decision to remove these levies, despite rumors circulating that the prime minister of Pakistan has made the announcement.
Furthermore, it is incorrectly stated in the publications that non-PTA mobile users can get their devices approved by merely turning them on and off while having a SIM card attached, and that Pakistanis returning from outside will not be required to pay these fees.
In July 2023, the Prime Minister extended a facility allowing abroad Pakistanis to register their handsets tax-free under the Temporary Registration System for a duration of 120 days during each visit to Pakistan. The PTA stresses that no more extensive elimination of FBR taxes on handset registration has been implemented; this temporary capability is the only one in effect at the moment.
The PTA went on to say that one of its responsibilities is to confirm that mobile devices meet the technical requirements needed to be registered through the Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) following the payment of FBR taxes. The FBR is the only entity in charge of implementing and collecting these taxes.
It is advisable to verify any updates or modifications concerning the introduction, augmentation, or elimination of mobile device levies immediately with the FBR.