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How to Check and Pay PTA Tax in Pakistan
Tax year 2026-27 · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · TaxGuide
People search for PTA tax, PTA tax check online, and how to pay PTA tax. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority does not collect the money. PTA runs DIRBS, the Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System. The Federal Board of Revenue assesses the duty and taxes and issues a Payment Slip ID (PSID).
Use the PTA tax calculator when you want an estimate from the 2026-27 schedule. Pay the PSID, not the estimate.
Check the phone before you buy or register
- Dial
*#06#and write down every 15-digit IMEI. A dual-SIM phone and an iPhone with an eSIM have more than one. All of them must be registered. - Send each IMEI as an SMS to 8484, or open dvs.pta.gov.pk.
- Read the reply. Compliant means the phone is already PTA approved. GSMA Valid means the IMEI is real but not registered, so tax is due. Blocked or non-compliant means the IMEI cannot be registered in the normal way.
The full check is in How to check PTA tax by IMEI.
Register and get the PSID
Register within 60 days of the first Pakistani SIM in the phone. That window does not restart on a later visit. There has been no duty-free baggage phone since 30 June 2019.
- Web: dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs
- USSD: dial
*8484#from a SIM issued on your own CNIC or passport - Any mobile operator franchise
DIRBS sends the application to FBR WeBOC. WeBOC returns a PSID and an amount. The PSID is valid for 7 days. If it expires, apply again.
Pay the PSID
PTA’s own instruction is to pay at a commercial bank. The payment reaches FBR through 1Link. After FBR confirms it, the application moves from Pending to Approved, and the operators are told to unblock the IMEI.
JazzCash and Easypaisa sometimes show an FBR or mobile-phone-tax biller. If the wallet rejects the PSID, pay at a bank branch or ATM instead of trying a new PSID. The payment steps are in How to pay PTA tax with a PSID.
What the estimate includes
The 2026-27 estimate has four parts: regulatory duty under SRO 1064(I)/2026, sales tax at 18% up to USD 500 and 25% above that, the mobile handset levy, and section 148 income tax. Only the income-tax line doubles for a non-filer. The bands are on the PTA tax slabs page.
Overseas visitors can temporarily register one phone for 120 days from arrival, checked against FIA records. That registration is free, tied to one local SIM, and it is not permanent. A person can permanently register up to five devices in a calendar year.
Questions
Where do I pay PTA tax?
Pay the PSID from DIRBS at a commercial bank. The payment goes to FBR. A wallet works only when it accepts that PSID.
TaxGuide.pk provides informational estimates based on the selected tax year and published rules. Verify final tax obligations with official sources or a qualified tax professional.