Pakistan has a new way to tax content creators. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) now estimates a YouTuber's income using their view count, not just their reported earnings.
The FBR set a benchmark of Rs 195, about $0.70, per 1,000 YouTube views.
How the New Tax Works
The FBR compares two figures for each creator. One is the income the creator reports. The other is an estimate based on views, using the Rs 195 rate. Tax applies to whichever figure is higher.
A video with 1 million views, for example, gets an estimated income of Rs 195,000. If a creator reported less than that, the FBR can use the higher, view-based number instead.
Creators can still deduct expenses, but only up to 30% of their revenue, Arab News reported. This cap covers costs like editing, gear, and production.
Who Has to Pay
The rule covers four platforms: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Pakistani residents must pay with no minimum audience size. Non-resident creators are covered too, but only above a threshold. They owe tax if they pass 50,000 users in Pakistan in a year. The quarterly threshold is 12,250 users, according to Gulf News and Arab News.
