Section 236K advance tax the buyer pays on purchase.
Advance tax (236K)
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Effective rate
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Total cash needed
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Your breakdown
Updates live as you type
Item
Amount
Worked example
Take a filer buying a property with an FBR-notified value of PKR 30,000,000. Because the value is under
50,000,000, the section 236K rate for a filer is 1.5%, and this rate is charged on the entire value, not
band by band. So the advance tax is 30,000,000 times 1.5%, which is 450,000. The total cash the buyer
needs at registration is the value plus the tax, about 30,450,000. The contrast with a non-filer is
stark: on the same 30,000,000 a non-filer pays 10.5%, which is 3,150,000, seven times more. That single
gap, 450,000 versus 3,150,000, is why getting onto the Active Taxpayer List before buying property is one
of the highest-return tax moves available in Pakistan.
Item
Amount (PKR)
FBR property value
Rs 30,000,000
236K rate (filer, under 50M)
1.5%
Advance tax (filer)
Rs 450,000
Advance tax if non-filer (10.5%)
Rs 3,150,000
Total cash needed (filer)
Rs 30,450,000
How it is calculated
Section 236K is an advance income tax the buyer pays when registering an immovable property purchase, and
it is charged on the FBR-notified value rather than the price you negotiate. Unlike income tax, it is not
progressive in the marginal sense: the calculator finds the single rate for your value slab and applies it
to the whole value, so a 30,000,000 purchase by a filer is taxed at a flat 1.5% across the entire amount.
Filers on the Active Taxpayer List pay value-slab rates of roughly 1.5% to 2.5%, while non-filers pay far
higher rates of around 10.5% to 19%, which is the deliberate penalty for staying outside the tax net. The
tax is adjustable, meaning you can set it against your annual income tax liability when you file your
return, so it is a prepayment rather than a permanent cost for compliant taxpayers. Always confirm the
current FBR valuation table for the area, since the notified value, not the market price, drives the
figure.
Frequently asked questions
What is section 236K advance tax in Pakistan?
Section 236K is an advance income tax the buyer pays at the time of registering an immovable property purchase. It is charged on the FBR-notified value at a rate that rises with the value slab and is much higher for non-filers than for active-taxpayer-list filers. It is adjustable against your annual income tax liability.
What value is used to calculate section 236K tax, the market price or the FBR notified value?
The tax is charged on the FBR-notified valuation for the area, not on the negotiated market price. If the FBR value is lower than what you actually paid, the tax is still based on the FBR figure. This distinction matters a great deal because FBR values in many areas are well below market, so the advance tax can be smaller than buyers expect.
How does filer status affect the 236K tax on a PKR 30 million property?
On a PKR 30 million purchase a filer pays 1.5 percent, which is PKR 450,000. A non-filer on the same property pays 10.5 percent, which is PKR 3,150,000. The difference is PKR 2,700,000 on a single transaction. Getting onto the Active Taxpayer List before you buy is one of the highest-return tax actions available in Pakistan for property buyers.
Can the 236K advance tax be set off against my annual tax liability?
Yes. Section 236K tax is an adjustable advance payment, meaning it reduces the income tax you owe when you file your annual return. If the advance tax exceeds your final liability for the year you can claim the excess as a refund. Keep the registration document and the challan as proof of payment, since the FBR will require these when you reconcile.