It seems that any person coming to Pakistan with hopes of bringing in a phone they bought from abroad to use at home are in for a surprise when they declare the phone at the airport. A new Pakistan Mobile Import Tax states that now phones will have to pay a premium tax that you will have to pay on a phone if you are bringing a phone with you from abroad.
Pakistan Mobile Import Tax – Getting Phones in the country got a whole lot more difficult
اوور سیز پاکستانی فون لا سکتے ہیں اضافی فون پر ٹیکس ہے ، ہم دو ارب ڈالر کے موبائل درآمد کر رہے ہیں اس پر ٹیکس نہیں کریں گے تو کیسے چلے گا؟60 ڈالر سے کم قیمت کے فون پر ٹیکس نہ ہونے کے برابر ہے مہنگے فون پر 38% ٹیکس ہےاس سے زیادہ مناسب ٹیکسیشن کیا ہو گی۔ٹیکس کلچر اپنانا ہو گا https://t.co/YEHrLlNOgD
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) December 11, 2018
Here is the official tweet issued by the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Government of Pakistan, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain. He has stated that phones valued at below $60 are exempt from the tax but phones above the mark will be taxed as much as 38%.
The good thing is the first phone you bring in will not be taxed, it will be the second phone onwards where the tax will be applied. Since it will be on the second phone which the tax will be applied to, you better make sure that you choose the first one right.