- Three sectors paid Rs 293 billion and salaried Rs 315 billion.
- Salaried taxpayers paid Rs 22,000 crore more in total.
- Data published just before the IMF review mission.
ISLAMABAD: The salaried class has once again emerged as the largest income tax payer, paying more than exporters, retailers and property buyers and sellers combined during the first seven months of the current fiscal year. The news reported, citing data from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Three major sectors, including retailers owning three million outlets, foreign exchange earning exporters and property sellers and buyers, have cumulatively contributed Rs293 billion to the national fund in the July-January period of FY26, while the salaried class paid Rs315 billion in this period alone.
Just ahead of the IMF’s next review mission, these data show that the powerful and politically entrenched segments are paying less than the salaried class.
It remains to be seen whether the newly created Fiscal Policy Office under the umbrella of the Finance Ministry in Q Block will be able to convince the IMF to slash the tax burden on the salaried class in the upcoming budget for 2026-27.
It shows that the salaried class independently paid Rs 22 billion more than the three major sectors of the economy.
Official FBR data shows that exporters paid taxes worth Rs 50 billion in the first seven months (July-January) of the current fiscal year, as against Rs 54 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.
As 1% advance tax, exporters paid Rs 51 billion in the first seven months, taking their total contribution to Rs 101 billion in the first seven months of FY26, compared to Rs 101 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
Retailers owning 3 million outlets across the country have paid Rs 15 billion as advance tax under section 236G on sales to distributors, dealers and wholesalers in the first seven months of the current financial year, as against Rs 13.5 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
According to 236H, retailers paid Rs 25 billion in the first seven months of FY26, up from Rs 19 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
The FBR has collected Rs 105 billion from the sale and transfer of immovable property under 236C of Income Tax in the first seven months of the current financial year, compared to Rs 65 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
In Budget 2025-26, the gross amount of transactions does not exceed Rs 50 crore and there will be a 4.5% levy for people on the Active Taxpayer List. Where the gross transaction amount exceeds Rs 50 million but does not exceed Rs 100 million, the tax rate for an ATL person will be 5%.
When the gross amount of a real estate transaction exceeds Rs 100 million, the tax rate for an ATL individual is set at 5.5%.
The person not in ATL will have to pay 11.5% tax as per 236C. A person who filed late returns will have to pay 7.5%, 8.5% and 9.5% for transaction amounts of Rs 50 million, Rs 100 million and above Rs 100 million.
The FBR has collected Rs 47 billion from purchase and transfer of real estate in the first seven months of FY26, compared to Rs 66 billion collected in the same period of the last financial year.
On property purchases, tax rates were reduced to 1.5% for people living in ATL up to a transaction of Rp50 million, to 2% for ATL people when the transaction amount exceeds Rp50 million but does not exceed Rp100 million, and to 2.5% when the transaction amount exceeds Rp100 million.
On the other hand, the salaried class belonging to both the public and private sectors has contributed Rs 315 billion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, compared to Rs 284 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
