Govt Increases Taxes on Import of Mobile Phones by 240%

In a bid to encourage local cellphone manufacturing, the federal government has increased taxes and regulatory duty on import of mobile phones by up to 240%, depending on the value of the smartphone.

Taxes on Mobile Phones, Taxes Mobile Phones, Regulatory Duty Mobile Phones, Regulatory Duties — Govt Increases Taxes on Import of Mobile Phones by 240%.

The new taxes and regulatory duty on mobile phones came into effect on Thursday, according to a notification issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

These steps have been taken at a time when cellphones are in high demand due to online classes being taken by students across the country. However, the tax authorities’ rationale behind the increase in regulatory duties is to encourage local production of cellphones.

It is pertinent to mention that the country imported $1.9 billion worth of smartphones, an increase of 63%, during the period of July to May of the last fiscal year.

The regulatory duty on the import of mobile phones has been increased in the range of 32% to 240%, depending on the value of the imported mobile phone.

Taxes / Regulatory Duty on Mobile Phones

Mobile Phone Value	Taxes/Regulatory Duty	Increase
$1 – $30	Rs. 300 per set	Rs. 132 or 82%
$31 – $100	Rs. 3,000 per set	Rs. 1,380 or 85%
$101 – $200	Rs. 7,500 per set	Rs. 5,070 or $208%
$201 – $350	Rs. 11,000 per set	Rs. 7,760 or 240%
$351 – $500	Rs. 15,000 per set	Rs. 5,500 or 59%
Above $500	Rs. 22,000 per set	Rs. 5,350 or 32%

These are the new taxes and regulatory duty on the import of mobile phones. Let us know what you think of this government decision in the comments below.

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