PTA Tax Instalments in Pakistan: Monthly DIRBS Payments, Due Dates and Default Rules (CGO 06 of 2026)

Yes, you can now pay the sales tax on a PTA registration in monthly instalments. FBR's Customs General Order No. 06 of 2026, dated 22 October 2026, lets an individual choose instalments when applying in DIRBS, with one PSID each month and the last payment due before 30 June. Miss one payment and the phone is blocked again, with the whole balance due at once.

This is the procedure that was missing in September. The Finance Act 2026 allowed instalments, but there was no method to use them, as we noted when FBR first allowed PTA tax instalments. We read the new order on FBR's website on 1 November 2026. Below is what it says, month by month.

CGO 06 of 2026 lets individuals split the sales tax on a phone

The order adds a new paragraph F to Customs General Order No. 01 of 2019, the rulebook for registering phones through DIRBS. It covers individuals only. You choose instalments at the moment you apply in DIRBS, not later.

Three groups of individuals in the 2019 order qualify. These are international travellers who bring a phone in their baggage, local residents who register an unregistered phone, and people who import a phone by post or courier. Local traders who declare phones at a customs office, and commercial importers, are under different paragraphs and are not covered.

One point matters before you plan your budget. The order talks only about "the due amount of Sales Tax". It does not say that customs duty or other charges on the phone can also be split. Until DIRBS shows the breakdown, assume the other charges are due in full with the first PSID.

The number of instalments depends on the month you apply

Instalments are equal and monthly. Their number equals the months left in the financial year, counting the month you apply. Pakistan's financial year ends on 30 June, so an application in November gives eight instalments and one in June gives none.

The rule is simple once you count it out. We worked out the table below from the order's wording. The amount is a made-up example of Rs 40,000 in sales tax, to show the effect.

So the earlier in the financial year you register, the smaller each payment. A phone registered in July gets the most instalments. That is our reading of "counting the month in which the application is made".

Each instalment has its own PSID and its own due date

The first instalment is paid through the first PSID that DIRBS generates when you apply. Each later instalment gets a separate PSID, generated on the same date in each following month. The last one must be paid before 30 June.

Where a month has no matching date, the order says the PSID comes on the last day of that month. So if you apply on 31 January, the next PSID comes on the last day of February. You pay each PSID the usual way: online banking, ATM, mobile banking or a bank branch, as the 2019 order lists.

1. Open DIRBS, or dial *8484# from a local SIM if you are a traveller.
2. Enter your CNIC or passport details and the phone's IMEI.
3. Choose the instalment option at this step. You cannot add it later.
4. Pay the first PSID. The phone is processed on that payment.
5. Watch for a new PSID on the same date every month and pay it on time.

If DIRBS gives an error at the IMEI step, the fixes in DIRBS registration errors apply before you get to payment.

One missed instalment blocks the phone and makes the rest due

The order is strict on default. If an instalment is not paid by its due date, the phone is treated as unregistered and blocked in DIRBS. The whole remaining sales tax becomes payable at once, and you lose the option to pay in instalments again.

That makes the instalment plan a real commitment. Set a phone reminder for the PSID date each month. You are also allowed to pay any or all instalments early, at any time. If money comes in, clearing the balance removes the risk of a block.

Travellers still have 60 days to register

The 2019 order gives international travellers 60 days from arrival to register a phone brought in baggage. After that, the phone can still be registered, but with a fine on top of duty and taxes. Instalments do not change this time limit.

Overseas Pakistanis on a short visit have a separate route. The temporary registration for 120 days covers one handset without paying tax, and it is often the better choice for a short trip. For a rough idea of the tax on your model, the PTA tax calculator explains how the amount is worked out.

Common questions

Can I pay PTA tax in instalments now?

FBR's CGO 06 of 2026, dated 22 October 2026, sets the procedure. You choose instalments when you apply in DIRBS. We could not open DIRBS on 1 November 2026 to confirm the option is visible there.

How many instalments will I get?

One for each month left in the financial year, counting the month you apply. November gives eight. June gives none: the full amount is due before 30 June.

Does the instalment plan cover customs duty too?

The order mentions only sales tax. It is silent on customs duty and other charges, so expect to pay those in full at the start.

What happens if I miss one payment?

The phone is blocked in DIRBS as unregistered, and all the remaining sales tax becomes due at once, with no second chance at instalments.

Can I pay the remaining instalments early?

Yes. The order says any or all instalments may be paid in advance at any time.

Can a shopkeeper use instalments for phones in stock?

No. Local traders and commercial importers fall under separate paragraphs of the 2019 order, which the instalment rule does not cover.

How we verified this

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

Last checked 1 November 2026. We read Customs General Order No. 06 of 2026 and the consolidated CGO 01 of 2019 with its 2024 amendment, both on FBR's website, on 1 November 2026. The instalment counts and the Rs 40,000 example are our own arithmetic. We could not reach dirbs.pta.gov.pk on 1 November 2026, so we have not seen the instalment option on screen, and the order does not say whether customs duty can also be split.