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Corporate Income Tax in Pakistan
Tax Laws In Pakistan
The regulatory body for taxes in Pakistan is the Federal Board of Revenue, a department of the Ministry of Finance in Pakistan. The main charges companies are subject to corporate income tax and sales tax.
In Pakistan, the Sales Tax is a form of the Value-Added Tax. The Sales Tax Act, 1990 regulate sales tax on goods. Provincial tax laws govern the sales tax (VAT) on services.
The Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 governs the income tax in Pakistan. Income tax differs for types of legal entities and individuals and is amended each year.
Tax year in Pakistan
The Normal Tax Year in Pakistan is from 1 July to 30 June. Any income year ending other than on 30 June is considered a Special Tax Year and needs permission from the Federal Board of Revenue beforehand.
The due date for filing an income tax return for the Normal Tax Year is 31 of December. If your tax year ends between 1 July and 31 December, the due date for filing a tax return for the preceding tax year is 30 September.
Corporate Income Tax
Pakistan imposes three different rates of Corporate Income Tax, depending on the size and type of the company.
Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rates in Pakistan
Type of company | CIT in 2023* | ||
Banking company | 39% | ||
Public and private company | 29% | ||
Small company | 20% |
What is a Small Company in Pakistan?
Since 1 July 2005, an entity needs to meet the following requirements to classify as a small company:
- paid-up capital and undistributed reserves don’t exceed PKR 25 million (~$US200,000)
- has less than 250 employees
- is not formed by splitting up or reconstructing of a company already in existence
- annual turnover below PKR 250 million (~$US 2 million)
Sales Tax in Pakistan
Sales Tax is a charged tax to consumers. The basis of it is the purchase price of goods and services. Since 2014, the standard rate for Sales Tax is 17%.
Under the Sales Tax Act, 1990, all locally produced and imported goods not including computer software, poultry feeds, medicines and unprocessed agricultural produce of Pakistan are chargeable to Sales Tax.
These sectors need to get registration and charge Sales Tax on their supplies and services:
- Manufacturing
- Import
- Services
- Distribution, Wholesale and Retail
How to report taxes in Pakistan?
You need to report your taxes in Pakistan through Tax Returns. Sales taxes and withholding taxes must be reported on a monthly basis. Income tax is reported annually.
Tax reporting can be time-consuming especially in emerging markets like Pakistan. However, to keep your record straight, it is highly recommended to ensure your tax planning and outsource expertise from tax consultants.
Tax treaties
Pakistan has executed tax treaties with more than 66 countries.The list of these countries is given below:
Sr.No | Title | Sr.No | Title |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Austria | 34 | Mauritius |
2 | Azerbaijan | 35 | Morocco |
3 | Bahrain | 36 | Nepal |
4 | Bangladesh | 37 | Netherlands. |
5 | Belgium | 38 | Nigeria |
6 | Belarus | 39 | Norway. |
7 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 40 | Oman. |
8 | Brunei Darussalam | 41 | Philippines |
9 | Bulgaria | 42 | Poland |
10 | Canada | 43 | Portugal |
11 | China | 44 | Qatar. |
12 | Czech Republic | 45 | Romania. |
13 | Denmark | 46 | Saudi Arabia |
14 | Egypt | 47 | Serbia |
15 | Finland | 48 | Singapore. |
16 | France. | 49 | South Africa. |
17 | Germany | 50 | Spain |
18 | Hong Kong | 51 | Sri Lanka |
19 | Hungary | 52 | Sweden. |
20 | Indonesia | 53 | Switzerland |
21 | Iran | 54 | Syria |
22 | Ireland | 55 | Tajikistan |
23 | Italy | 56 | Thailand. |
24 | Japan | 57 | Tunisia |
25 | Jordan | 58 | Turkey |
26 | Kazakhstan | 59 | Turkmenistan |
27 | Korea | 60 | Ukraine |
28 | Kuwait | 61 | United Arab Emirates |
29 | Kyrgyz Republic | 62 | United Kingdom. |
30 | Libya | 63 | United States of America |
31 | Lebanon. | 64 | Uzbekistan |
32 | Malaysia. | 65 | Vietnam |
33 | Malta | 66 | Yemen |
These conventions aim to eliminate double taxation of income or gains arising in one territory and paid to residents of another territory. The provisions of the tax treaties take precedence over the tax laws applicable in Pakistan with respect to taxation of Pakistan-source income of a non-resident person (subject to certain restrictions now introduced in law). Most of the treaties are based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Model Tax Convention.
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