ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has alerted consumers regarding a fake notification circulating on social media, claiming that the authority has reduced taxes on mobile phones.
According to a statement issued here, the PTA has issued no such directive, and the notification is entirely false.
The fake notification also claimed that the government has issued fresh instructions for mobile phone importers and consumers regarding mobile taxes. “This information is entirely false and misleading,” it said.
It advised the public to refrain from sharing unverified information and to rely only on PTA’s official website and verified social media channels for authentic updates and announcements.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), in a briefing to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance in November 2025, said the taxes are applied to imported mobile phones, and the charges are calculated according to the device value.
FBR officials told the standing committee that four types of taxes are imposed on cellphones, including mobile levy, regulatory duty, sales tax, and withholding tax.
The original price of a mobile phone is determined based on a valuation ruling. If no valuation is available for a particular model, the price is established using import data from the previous 90 days.
According to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), mobile phones valued at up to $30 are subject to a Rs100 ($ 0.36) mobile levy, Rs300 ($1.07) regulatory duty, 18 percent sales tax, and a Rs70 ($0.25) withholding tax.
For devices priced between $30 and $100, the applicable taxes include a Rs200 ($0.71) mobile levy, Rs 3,000 ($10.71) regulatory duty, 18 percent sales tax, and a Rs930 ($3.32) withholding tax.
Handsets valued between $100 and $200 attract a Rs600 ($2.14) mobile levy, Rs7,500 ($26.79) regulatory duty, 8 percent sales tax, and a Rs970 ($3.46) withholding tax.
Phones priced in the $200 to $350 range are taxed with a Rs1,800 ($6.43) mobile levy, Rs11,000 ($39.29) regulatory duty, 18 percent sales tax, and a Rs5,000 ($17.86) withholding tax.
Devices valued between $350 and $500 are subject to a Rs4,000 ($14.29) mobile levy, Rs15,000 ($53.57) regulatory duty, 18 percent sales tax, and a Rs5,000 ($17.86) withholding tax.
The highest taxes apply to phones costing more than $500, which carry a Rs8,000 ($28.57) mobile levy—rising to Rs16,000 ($57.14) for devices priced above $700—along with a Rs22,000 ($78.57) regulatory duty, 25 percent sales tax, and a Rs11,500 ($41.07) withholding tax.
