FBR cashes in on mobile imports

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis are no longer able to bring duty free mobile phones with them to Pakistan as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has started deducting an additional tax of Rs2.9 billion from their registration.
Quoting sources, the channel reported that the FBR had already collected Rs8.1 billion between July 2020 and March 2021. The sources further disclosed that an amount of Rs5.2 billion had been collected during the same period last year.
It has further learnt that Rs1.178 million cell phones have been registered between July 2020 and March 2021 against Rs1.290 million registered during the same period in the previous year. Sources further revealed that mobile phones worth Rs45 billion have been registered during the first nine months of the current financial year while phones worth Rs23 billion had been registered during the same period last year.
It has been told that Rs300 tax has been levied on bringing cellphones worth $30 while Rs2, 940 tax has been levied on those costing $100. Likewise, consumers are being made to pay Rs4, 510 in tax on mobile phones costing $200.
Similarly, Rs6,180 would be deducted in tax on bringing phones worth $350; Rs17650 on phones worth $350 and Rs31520 on phones worth $500.