People bringing phones into Pakistan can now pay the sales tax in monthly instalments instead of all at once. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) introduced PTA tax instalments through a new order, Customs General Order No. 06 of 2026, issued on Friday, October 23, Business Recorder reported.
“PTA tax” is the common name for the duty and taxes the FBR charges to register an imported phone. Registration happens through DIRBS, the PTA system that blocks unregistered phones from working on Pakistani mobile networks.
The new option is open to three groups: travellers bringing phones from abroad, people registering phones locally, and people receiving phones by post or courier. You choose instalments when you apply through DIRBS.
The Finance Act 2026 first allowed instalments from July 1, 2026, Digital Pakistan reported at the time. But the actual payment rules arrived only this week, almost four months later.
Apply early to get more months to pay
The tax is split into equal monthly payments. The number of payments depends on how many months are left in the financial year, which ends on June 30. The month you apply counts as the first one.
| If you apply in | Number of monthly payments |
|---|---|
| October 2026 | 9 |
| November 2026 | 8 |
| December 2026 | 7 |
| January 2027 | 6 |
| February 2027 | 5 |
| March 2027 | 4 |
| April 2027 | 3 |
| May 2027 | 2 |
| June 2027 | 1 (full amount that month) |
This means timing matters. Say the sales tax on your phone is Rs. 90,000. Apply in October and you pay Rs. 10,000 a month for nine months. Wait until March and each payment jumps to Rs. 22,500.
You pay the first instalment with a Payment Slip ID (PSID), the payment number DIRBS gives you when you apply. You can pay a PSID at a bank or through banking apps. A new PSID is then created on the same date every month.
If that date does not exist in a month, the PSID comes on the last day instead. For example, someone who applies on October 31 will get the next slips on November 30, December 31, and so on. You can also pay some or all of the remaining tax early.
One missed payment blocks the phone
The order is strict about late payments. If you miss a due date, you will be treated as a defaulter.
Your phone will be marked as unregistered and blocked through DIRBS. The whole remaining tax will become due at once, and you will lose the option to pay in instalments.
So before choosing this option, make sure you can pay every month until June 30. Setting a reminder for the PSID date each month is a simple way to avoid losing your phone.
