Following the official announcement of the Apple iPhone 16 series in Pakistan, the prices of iPhones and PTA taxes have seen a significant drop.
Since the launch of the iPhone 16 in September this year 2024, global prices increased, especially in countries like Pakistan, where no official Apple Store exists. In such markets, latest iPhones were being sold at premium prices. However, in October, Mercantile, Apple’s authorized distributor in Pakistan, officially unveiled the prices of the iPhone 16 series, aligning them with the Apple Store prices.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max, which retailed for $1,200 at Apple Stores, was launched in Pakistan at PKR 540,000, inclusive of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
(PTA) tax. In the early days following the launch, Pakistani consumers were spending large amount to retailers and resellers, in addition to over PKR 200,000 in PTA taxes.
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Earlier, the PTA tax on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, when registered with an ID card, was around PKR 213,000, and for passport holders, it was close to PKR 183,000. But now, these taxes have been reduced alongside the drop in phone prices.
It’s essential to understand the PTA determines taxes based on various factors, including the phone’s cost, tax rates, customs duties, and sales tax.
Few months ago, Mercantile was the only authorized Apple distributor in Pakistan. However, in September, a new player, GNext, joined the list of Apple distributors, expanding the market for Apple products. Currently, iPhones delivered by both Mercantile and GNext are available in the market.
G Next, which previously distributed brands like Samsung and Tecno in Pakistan, recently partnered with Airlink to expand its distribution of Apple products.
With the arrival of additional distributors, the monopoly of Apple products in the Pakistani market has diminished, and we’ve seen a price reduction of PKR 20,000 to 30,000 on the new iPhone 16 models.
As a result, the PTA tax on the iPhone 16 series has also decreased. According to renowned tech website Phone World, the details of the new PTA taxes on the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max are listed in the table.
Consumers can pay their PTA tax in two ways: via their ID card or passport. For passport holders, the tax amount is slightly lower, provided they can present proof of travel history.
