35 changes made in Finance Bill, 2026: Airlines get sales tax exemption on aircraft import

ISLAMABAD: The government has made over 35 major changes in the Finance Bill 2026 and amended Finance Bill to allow all Pakistani airlines to avail sales tax exemption on the import or lease of aircrafts and its parts from July 1, 2027.

According to the amendments approved in the Finance Bill 2026 on Tuesday, a new entry in sales tax exemption schedule said, “Import or lease of aircrafts and parts thereof by any airline company registered in Pakistan. This will be effective from July 1, 2027”.

Some amendments relating to the Climate Support Levy in the original Finance Bill 2026 have been dropped through amendments in the Finance Bill.

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The amendments were proposed in the Petroleum Products (Petroleum Levy and Climate Support Levy Ordinance).

The amended Bill revealed that the excise duty on imported electric cars would be calculated based on their values to be calculated US dollars. Zero percent Federal Excise Duty will be applicable on electric cars and electric SUVs, imported in CBU condition having value as determined under section 25 of the Customs Act, 1969, not exceeding USD 75,000.

Excise duty of 30 percent would be applicable on electric cars and electric SUVs, imported in CBU condition having value as determined under section 25 of the Customs Act, 1969, exceeding USD 75,000 and up to USD one hundred and ten thousand.

Excise duty at the rate of 40 percent would be applicable on electric cars and electric SUVs, imported in CBU condition having value as determined under section 25 of the Customs Act, 1969, exceeding USD one hundred and ten thousand.

The amended Finance Bill 2026 revealed that the persons having turnover up to two hundred million may also opt out of fixed tax regime subject to a final and irrevocable certificate filed to the Commissioner before filing of return for tax year 2027.

About installment facility on imported mobile phones, the amended Bill said that an individual liable to pay tax on imported mobile phone device through Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, may be allowed to pay tax in installments as may be prescribed, subject to the condition that all the installments shall be paid before the end of the financial year in which the import is made.

The manufacturer shall, apart from any other liability that he may incur, be liable to pay 3 percent value addition tax of imports on an ad valorem basis, along with default surcharge, in case the imported goods are supplied in the same state whether in the same packing, repacked, or in bulk.

As per amended Bill 2026, the rate of minimum value addition tax shall be one percent in the case of import of coal, subject to the conditions that such imported coal is exclusively and directly supplied to Independent Power Producers.

If any person is found to be involved or abetting in the removal, substitution, damage or otherwise tempering with any goods, whether or not confiscated, at any such place as authorised by the Collector, it added.

Under the amended Bill, the income tax exemption would be available on any income derived by a Private Equity and Venture Capital Fund registered under Private Funds Regulations, 2015, if not less than ninety percent of its accounting income of that year, as reduced by accumulated losses and unrealised capital gains, is distributed by the Private Equity and Venture Capital Fund to its unit or certificate holders or shareholders. Provided that this exemption shall not be available if the Private Equity and Venture Capital Fund is established to acquire a public listed company, whose status has not been changed to the private limited company on the acquisition.

As per amended Bill, in the case of steel melters, steel re-rollers and composite units, the tax shall be collected on the basis of per unit electricity consumption including use of electricity produced by a captive power plant or through any other alternative source of energy at the rate or rates as prescribed by the Board, through notification in the official Gazette. The tax so collected shall be an adjustable input tax, to be claimed in the return of the month in which such payment is made:

Provided also that the Board may prescribe a lower per unit rate or rates of electricity consumption on the basis of input tax paid on imports or other invoices issued through electronic invoicing system digitally issued invoices for compliant and digitally integrated steel melters, re-rollers and composite units to minimise creation of refunds:

The per unit sales tax shall be determined by the Board on the basis of minimum notified price and the industrial benchmarks of consumption of electricity against per ton production of steel products, amended Finance Bill added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026