Karachi, October 12, 2025 – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reported a substantial increase in withholding income tax collection on imports, reaching Rs422.42 billion during fiscal year 2024–25. This marks an impressive growth of 11.36 percent compared with Rs379 billion collected in the previous fiscal year.
According to official data, the FBR collected the withholding income tax on imports under Section 148 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. The strong performance highlights the revival of import activity and improved tax enforcement measures.
FBR officials noted that withholding tax on imports remains one of the major revenue sources for the department. However, in recent years, this collection had declined due to government restrictions on imports. The recent rebound reflects both the relaxation of import curbs and enhanced monitoring at customs points.
Sources within the FBR stated that, although the overall volume of imports increased during the year, the rise in collection was also due to administrative reforms and the introduction of new levies targeting under-invoicing and misdeclaration.
Pakistan’s total imports grew by 6.58 percent to $58.38 billion during FY25, compared with $54.80 billion in FY24. In rupee terms, imports rose by 5.37 percent to Rs15.48 trillion, underscoring the FBR’s improved efficiency in capturing tax revenue from growing import transactions.