Key Takeaways
- FBR allows individuals to pay sales tax on imported mobile phones in monthly instalments.
- The tax will be divided into equal monthly instalments based on the remaining months in the financial year.
- Failure to pay instalments on time will result in the phone being blocked and the entire outstanding tax becoming immediately payable.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a new facility for individuals importing mobile phones, allowing them to pay the required sales tax in monthly instalments.
Under the new arrangement, the tax will be divided into equal monthly instalments based on the number of months remaining in the financial year, including the month in which the application is submitted.
For instance, an individual importing a mobile phone in June must pay the entire sales tax by the end of that month, while those applying in other months can opt for monthly instalments.
The first instalment must be paid through a Payment Slip ID (PSID) generated when the application is submitted, with subsequent instalments being paid through separate PSIDs generated on the corresponding date of each following month.
If the corresponding date does not exist in a particular month, the PSID will be generated for the last day of that month. All instalments must be paid by June 30, the end of the financial year.
Individuals are also given the option to pay some or all of the remaining tax in advance, providing flexibility in their payment process.
However, the FBR has warned that missing an instalment deadline will result in the individual being declared a defaulter, with their phone being treated as unregistered and blocked through the Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS).
Furthermore, the entire outstanding sales tax will become immediately payable, and the defaulter will no longer be eligible to pay the remaining amount in instalments.
This new facility aims to make the process of importing mobile phones more manageable for individuals, while ensuring compliance with tax regulations.
