PTA is responsible for the maintenance of telecommunication systems in Pakistan. They are also responsible for collecting taxes on imported smartphones. PTA taxes are already very high. Now, due to the increase in dollar prices, companies can’t provide reasonable prices. As we all know, Apple doesn’t operate directly in Pakistan. iPhones are imported in Pakistan and sold through official resellers. People are also selling imported iPhones in the market which are not approved by PTA. iPhone prices are already very high in Pakistan after PTA approval. On top of that, the government has yet again imposed higher taxes. This means getting your iPhone approved has got more expensive.
New Tax Rates For iPhones
- 7, 7+ (36,554 PKR)
- 8, 8+ (49118 PKR)
- X, Xs series, 11 series and 12 series (69,814 PKR)
- 13 Pro (72,839 PKR)
- 13 Pro Max (73,819)
As you can see, the taxes have doubled. Consumers are very angry over these insanely high tax rates. In the amount of these taxes, one could buy another phone. For example, the 5-year-old iPhone X has a tax of approximately 70,000 PKR. This is more than the actual value of the device itself. The same is the case for other models as well. PTA taxes are not necessarily a bad thing. However, the government needs to re-think the rates. People won’t be complaining if the taxes were reasonable
Solution
There is one way you can use your favourite iPhone. For using your favourite iPhone without paying taxes, just don’t put a SIM in it. You can buy a feature phone like Jazz Digit for using your SIM card. Make sure your feature phone has WiFi and Hotspot so you can enjoy your mobile data on your iPhone through a hotspot. This will cost you only 5-6k extra. This way you can save a lot of money and still use your favourite iPhone. There is nothing illegal in this too.
