PTA tax on imported phones can now be paid in monthly installments

That six-figure number staring back at you when you try to register an imported iPhone has always been the hard stop. Pay it all upfront, or your phone stays unregistered. For most people, that's been less of a policy and more of a wall.

The Finance Bill 2026 has quietly changed that.

Under the newly approved mechanism, PTA taxes on imported phones can now be paid in monthly installments through the registration system — as long as the full amount is cleared within the same financial year. It's not a waiver, it's not a discount. But it is breathing room.

What the numbers look like

For anyone bringing in an iPhone 17, here's what you're working with in PKR:

On Passport

On CNIC

Passport holders pay notably less — up to PKR 20,000 less on the Pro Max compared to CNIC registration.

What this actually changes

The total tax burden hasn't moved. What has changed is when and how it hits your account. For salaried professionals, freelancers, or anyone who travels and brings back a device, the instalment option converts an otherwise impossible lump sum into something that can actually be planned around.

It also signals something broader: the government acknowledges that a one-time payment of nearly PKR 200,000 wasn't realistic for most people — and unregistered phones were the predictable result.

The fine print to watch

The full amount still needs to be paid within the current financial year, so this isn't an open-ended payment plan. The mechanism runs through the PTA registration system itself, meaning compliance is built in. Miss the window, and presumably the standard penalties apply.