- Three sectors paid DKK 293 billion. Rs., paid 315 billion. Rs.
- Salaried taxpayers paid Rs22 billion more overall.
- Data released just before the IMF audit mission.
ISLAMABAD: The salaried class has again emerged as the largest single income tax contributor, paying more than exporters, retailers and property buyers and sellers combined during the first seven months of the current financial year, The news reported with reference to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) data.
Three major sectors, including retailers who own three million outlets, exporters who earn in foreign exchange and sellers and buyers of properties, have cumulatively coughed up Rs 293 billion into the national kitty in the July-Jan period of FY26, while the salaried class paid Rs 315 billion during this period alone.
Just ahead of the upcoming IMF audit mission, these data show that the powerful and politically entrenched segments pay less than the wage-earning class.
It remains to be seen whether the newly created tax policy office under the finance ministry’s umbrella at Q Block will be able to convince the IMF to cut the tax burden on the salaried class in the next budget for 2026-27.
It shows that the salaried class paid Rs 22 billion more as self-employed than the three major sectors of the economy.
Official data from the FBR shows that the exporters paid tax of Rs 50 billion in the first seven months (July-Jan) of the current financial year against Rs 54 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
As an advance tax of 1%, exporters paid Rs51 billion in the first seven months, taking their total contribution to Rs101 billion in the first seven months of FY26 compared to Rs101 billion in the same period last fiscal.
The retailers, who own 3 million businesses across the country, have paid Rs15 billion as advance tax under section 236G on sales to distributors, dealers and wholesalers in the first seven months of the current financial year against Rs13.5 billion in the same period last financial year.
During 236H, retailers disbursed Rs25 billion in the first seven months of FY26 against Rs19 billion in the same period last fiscal.
The FBR has collected Rs105 billion on sale and transfer of immovable property under 236C of income tax in the first seven months of the current financial year, compared to Rs65 billion in the same period last financial year.
In the budget 2025-26, the gross amount of transactions does not exceed Rs50 million and there will be a rate of 4.5% for person exists in the active taxpayer list. Where the gross amount of the transaction exceeds Rs 50 million but does not exceed Rs 100 million, the tax rate for an ATL person will be 5%.
Where the gross amount of a property transaction exceeds Rs100 million, the tax rate for an ATL person is fixed at 5.5%.
The person who is not in ATL has to pay a tax of 11.5% under 236C. A person who has filed belated 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 Rs47 billion on purchase and transfer of real estate in the first seven months of CFY26 compared to Rs66 billion collected in the same period last financial year.
On purchase of property, the tax rates were reduced to 1.5% for person existing in ATL up to a transaction of Rs50 million, 2% for ATL persons where the transaction amount exceeds Rs50 million but does not exceed Rs100 million, and 2.5% where the transaction amount exceeds Rs100 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 financial year compared to Rs284 billion in the same period last financial year.
