Balochistan Property Tax Rates in Quetta: Homes Up to Rs 2.5 Million Pay Nothing, and the House Exemption

Short answer: Balochistan's Excise, Taxation and Anti-Narcotics Department publishes property tax rates by taxable value. A home valued up to Rs 2.5 million pays nothing. Above that, homes pay 0.10 to 0.20 per cent of the total value a year and commercial property pays 0.2 to 0.50 per cent. One self-occupied house can also be exempt if you apply on Form PT-19.

Property tax in Balochistan is charged under the Balochistan Urban Immovable Property Tax Act, 1958, in urban "rating areas" such as Quetta. We read the department's rate card, its 19 property forms and its sample exemption application on excise.balochistan.gov.pk, and the Act itself on the Balochistan Code, on 20 October 2026. They do not agree on every point, and we show where.

The department's rates run from nil to 0.50 per cent of value

The rate card on the department's website sets four value bands. Residential property up to Rs 2.5 million is exempt, while commercial property in that band pays 0.2 per cent. The top band, Rs 25 million and above, pays 0.20 per cent for homes and 0.50 per cent for commercial property.

The card says "of the total value", so the rate applies to the whole value, not just the part above each band. On that reading, a house valued at Rs 8 million pays Rs 8,000 a year. A shop valued at Rs 8 million pays Rs 20,000. A house valued at Rs 30 million pays Rs 60,000.

One caution. The Act as printed on the Balochistan Code still describes the old method: a tax of 10 per cent, or 15 per cent in notified areas, on a property's annual rental value. The rate card reflects a later change that the code's text does not show. Your bill from the department is what counts, so check it against the card.

One self-occupied house can be exempt, but the size limit differs

Section 4(h) of the Act exempts one residential house that you own and live in yourself, with a constructed area of up to 5,000 square feet. Anything bigger is taxable. But the department's own sample application, for the Quetta rating area, says the covered area must be "below 2,500 sq ft".

We cannot tell you which limit an Excise office will apply. The Act on the Balochistan Code says 5,000 square feet, and its footnote dates that wording to 2005. The department's form says 2,500. If your house falls between the two, apply anyway and ask for a written order either way.

The Act has other exemptions too:

• Property used only for education, including schools, hostels and libraries.
• Mosques, temples, churches, hospitals, orphanages and other places of public worship or charity, unless business is carried on or rent is not used for those purposes.
• Public parks and playgrounds.
• Property of widows and minor orphans with an annual value up to Rs 2,000.
• Federal government property, unless leased in perpetuity.

Apply for the house exemption with Form PT-19 in four steps

The exemption is not automatic. You apply to the Excise and Taxation Officer of your rating area with three documents: an application, Form PT-19 and an affidavit, plus a copy of your CNIC. The department's sample application carries a court fee stamp.

1. Download Form PT-19 and the sample exemption application from the Property Forms page of the department's website.
2. Fill PT-19: your property number, the date you started living there, its annual value in the valuation list, and any other property you own in the same rating area.
3. Declare that no part of the house is rented out and no business runs from it, and sign before two witnesses.
4. Submit everything to the Excise and Taxation Officer of your rating area and keep a stamped copy.

PT-19 also makes you promise to tell the department when the house stops being your own residence. If you later rent out a floor, the exemption ends for that part. Owners who live in their house but do not qualify still get a break: the Act taxes only half the annual value if you or your family own no other property in that rating area.

Unpaid tax can be taken from your tenant's rent

The Act says property tax is payable half-yearly, unless the government directs yearly payment. If you fall behind, the department can order your tenant to pay rent straight to it until the arrears are cleared. It can also add a penalty up to the full unpaid tax.

The penalty applies only if the department is satisfied you failed to pay wilfully. After that, the Collector can recover the money by seizing and selling movable property, or by attaching and selling the property itself. If you rent out property in Quetta, register your tenant too, as the tenant registration rule in Balochistan requires within 3 days.

You have 30 days to object to a valuation

Your tax depends on the valuation list. When the department publishes a draft list, you have 30 days to object to the entry for your property, which the Secretary can extend to 60 days. You can appeal an order on your objection to the Collector within 30 days.

You can also appeal an entry in a final valuation list within 60 days of the list coming into force. The Secretary, Excise and Taxation, can revise any order within one year on application. Keep your rent agreement and any proof of a lower rent, since annual value is based on the rent a property could earn. Owners in other provinces follow different systems, such as Sindh property tax and Punjab property tax online.

Common questions

Do I pay property tax on a house worth under Rs 2.5 million in Balochistan?

No. The department's rate card exempts residential property with a taxable value up to Rs 2.5 million.

What is the property tax rate on a shop in Quetta?

0.2 per cent up to Rs 2.5 million, 0.25 per cent up to Rs 10 million, 0.30 per cent up to Rs 25 million and 0.50 per cent above that, per the department's card.

Is my self-occupied house exempt?

One owner-occupied house can be exempt. The Act sets the limit at 5,000 square feet of constructed area, but the department's sample form says below 2,500.

Which form do I use for the exemption?

Form PT-19, with an application, an affidavit and a CNIC copy, submitted to the Excise and Taxation Officer of your rating area.

How often is property tax paid in Balochistan?

The Act says half-yearly, unless the government notifies yearly payment for a rating area.

What if I do not pay?

The department can collect your tenant's rent, add a penalty up to the unpaid tax for wilful default, and attach and sell property.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 20 October 2026. We read the property tax rate card (PROtx1.pdf, uploaded January 2026), the Property Forms page with Forms PT-1 to PT-19, and the sample exemption application and affidavit on the Balochistan Excise property tax page, and the Balochistan Urban Immovable Property Tax Act, 1958, on the Balochistan Code, on 20 October 2026. The example tax amounts are our arithmetic on the rate card. We could not find which Finance Act brought in the value-based rates, and the department's online tax portal did not load for us, so we could not check online payment.