Pakistan Crypto Capital Gains Tax Calculator
Pakistan imposes a 15% capital gains tax on cryptocurrency profits as of July 2025. This calculator shows how much tax you'd owe on your crypto sales.
Tax Calculation Results
Important: This calculator only applies to capital gains from selling cryptocurrency. It does not account for:
- Mining income (taxed as regular income)
- Staking rewards (taxed as regular income)
- Receiving crypto as payment
- Business transactions
There’s a rumor going around that Pakistan is dropping its crypto capital gains tax from 15% to 0%. If you’ve seen that headline, you’re not alone. But here’s the truth: Pakistan’s crypto tax rate is still 15%, and there’s no official plan to cut it to zero. This isn’t just misinformation-it’s a dangerous myth that could cost traders money if they act on it.
Where Did the 0% Tax Myth Come From?
The idea that Pakistan is moving to 0% crypto taxes likely comes from mixing up other countries’ policies. Places like Portugal, Dubai, and Singapore have zero capital gains taxes on crypto. Some people assume Pakistan is following suit. Others point to vague social media posts or forwarded WhatsApp messages that say things like, “New law: crypto tax gone in Pakistan!” But none of these claims are backed by any government document, law, or official announcement.
The real story starts in July 2025, when Pakistan passed the Virtual Assets Ordinance. This wasn’t a surprise move-it was the result of months of talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which pushed for formal regulation to stop tax evasion and bring crypto into the financial system. The outcome? A flat 15% capital gains tax on profits from selling crypto for Pakistani rupees.
How the 15% Tax Actually Works
The 15% tax only applies when you sell your crypto and make a profit. If you bought Bitcoin at ₨2 million and sold it for ₨2.5 million, you pay 15% on the ₨500,000 gain. That’s ₨75,000 in tax.
It doesn’t matter how long you held it. Unlike in the U.S. or Germany, where holding crypto for over a year lowers your tax rate, Pakistan treats all gains the same. Short-term trader? 15%. Long-term investor? Still 15%.
Here’s what else gets taxed:
- Mining income: Treated as regular income, taxed between 5% and 35% based on your total yearly earnings.
- Staking rewards: Also taxed as income, not capital gains.
- Getting paid in crypto: If your employer pays you in Bitcoin or USDT, that’s taxable income at your personal rate.
- Businesses: Companies dealing in crypto pay 29% corporate tax.
And here’s what doesn’t get taxed-yet:
- Transferring crypto between your own wallets: No tax.
- Buying crypto with rupees: No tax at purchase.
- Gifts under ₨50,000: Small transfers between family or friends are exempt.
But if you’re using foreign accounts like Roshan Digital to convert crypto to USD or EUR, you might face an extra 5-10% tax on the conversion. That’s not part of the capital gains tax-it’s a separate currency exchange fee.
Who’s Tracking Your Trades?
Before 2025, crypto in Pakistan was a wild west. No one knew who owned what. Now, exchanges like Binance Pakistan, Rain, and CoinSwitch are legally required to share transaction data with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). That started in June 2025.
You’re also required to file Form IT-1 by September 30 each year. This form asks for:
- All crypto purchases and sales with dates and amounts
- Wallet addresses involved
- Exchange statements
- Cost basis for each asset
Here’s the problem: most people bought crypto years ago, before this law existed. There’s no official guidance on how to calculate the original cost of Bitcoin bought in 2021. Do you use the price on Binance? On CoinMarketCap? On a local exchange? The FBR hasn’t said. So thousands are guessing-and risking penalties if they get it wrong.
What People Are Saying
On Reddit’s r/PakistanCrypto, users are split.
One trader, u/KarachiTrader88, wrote: “15% is better than the 30% we feared last year. But why no discount for holding longer? I could’ve held for five years and still pay the same as someone who flipped in a week.” That post got 142 upvotes.
Another user, u/BlockchainLahore, a miner, said: “At least they didn’t tax mining at 35%. I’m glad they’re treating it as regular income.” That one got 89 upvotes.
On Trustpilot, users give Pakistani crypto exchanges a 3.7/5 rating. The biggest complaints? “The tax calculator on Rain doesn’t handle DeFi yields right.” “I spent 18 hours just tracking my 2024 trades.” “The FBR website still doesn’t have a crypto tax form.”
A September 2025 survey by the Pakistan Fintech Association found that 72% of users want clearer rules on cost basis for old holdings. Only 43% said the PDAA’s tutorial videos helped them understand the tax.
How Others Are Doing It
Pakistan isn’t alone. Thailand also uses a 15% flat rate. India taxes crypto at 30% plus 1% TDS. The UAE has 0%. Dubai is the clear winner for long-term investors.
But Pakistan’s system is more predictable than India’s. And more structured than Bangladesh’s proposed 10% rate-which hasn’t even passed parliament yet.
Compared to the U.S., where your tax rate depends on your income and how long you held the asset, Pakistan’s flat 15% is simpler. But it’s also less rewarding for people who hold crypto for years. That’s a big miss. In Germany, if you hold for over a year, you pay nothing. In Switzerland, holding over six months cuts your tax. Pakistan doesn’t offer that.
What’s Coming Next?
The Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) announced in October 2025 that they’re drafting rules for “long-term holding incentives.” That’s the first hint that the 15% rate might change-but not to 0%. The draft suggests possible reductions: 10% for holdings over one year, 5% for over two years. But nothing’s final. No law has been passed. No deadline set.
Meanwhile, the FBR is training 5,000 chartered accountants across 12 cities to handle crypto tax filings. That’s a sign they’re serious about enforcement. If you haven’t started tracking your trades, now’s the time.
What You Should Do Right Now
Don’t wait for the 0% tax myth to become real. Here’s what to do:
- Track every transaction: Use tools like Koinly or CoinTracker. They’re available in Pakistan and have processed over 28,000 local accounts.
- Save your records: Download all exchange statements, wallet history, and receipts. Even if you bought crypto in 2020, keep it.
- Don’t assume exemptions: Just because you didn’t sell doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. If you swapped one coin for another, that’s a taxable event.
- Wait for official updates: Don’t trust Telegram groups or viral TikTok videos. Check the PDAA website or FBR’s official portal.
If you’re thinking of cashing out now because you believe the tax is disappearing, you’re making a mistake. The 15% is real. The 0% is fiction. And if you file wrong, you could face fines, audits, or worse.
Final Reality Check
Pakistan’s crypto market is growing fast. 12.7 million people now hold crypto. Trading volume jumped 217% in 2025. The government isn’t trying to kill crypto-it’s trying to control it. The 15% tax is a compromise: enough to generate revenue, low enough to keep traders from fleeing.
But if you want to see 0% tax in Pakistan, you’ll need to wait for a major policy shift. And even then, it’s more likely to be 5% or 10% for long-term holders-not a full wipeout.
For now, the only thing that’s certain is this: if you made money in crypto in 2025, you owe 15% on it. No exceptions. No delays. No magic zero.
Is crypto tax really 0% in Pakistan in 2025?
No. Pakistan imposes a flat 15% capital gains tax on crypto profits as of July 2025 under the Virtual Assets Ordinance. There is no official policy, law, or government announcement that reduces this rate to 0%. Claims of a 0% tax rate are false and likely spread through misinformation online.
What happens if I don’t report my crypto gains?
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) now receives transaction data directly from exchanges like Binance Pakistan and Rain. If you don’t report gains, you risk an audit, penalties of up to 200% of the unpaid tax, and possible legal action. Fines are already being issued in 2025 to traders who filed incomplete or false returns.
Do I pay tax if I trade one crypto for another?
Yes. Swapping Bitcoin for Ethereum, or USDT for Solana, counts as a taxable event in Pakistan. You must calculate the value in Pakistani rupees at the time of the trade and report any profit as capital gain. Even if you didn’t convert to rupees, the IRS-style rules apply: every trade is a sale.
What’s the minimum amount I need to report?
There’s no minimum threshold for capital gains reporting. However, gifts or transfers under ₨50,000 are exempt from tax. But if you sell crypto for a profit-even ₨1,000-you must report it. The exemption only applies to non-sale transfers, not trading gains.
Can I use foreign exchanges like Binance.com and avoid Pakistani tax?
No. Pakistani tax law applies to all residents regardless of where they trade. If you’re a resident of Pakistan and you profit from crypto, you owe tax-even if you use Binance.com or Coinbase. The FBR has direct data-sharing agreements with major global exchanges, so hiding trades overseas won’t work.
Will the tax rate go down in 2026?
Possibly, but not to 0%. The Pakistan Digital Assets Authority is drafting rules for reduced rates on long-term holdings-possibly 10% after one year and 5% after two. But this is still in draft form. No law has been passed. Don’t assume it’s coming. Plan as if the 15% rate stays.
Do I pay tax on crypto I mined or earned as rewards?
Yes. Mining rewards, staking income, and crypto received as payment are taxed as regular income-not capital gains. The rate depends on your total annual income, ranging from 5% to 35%. You must report these earnings on your Form IT-1 under “other income.”
How do I calculate my cost basis for crypto bought before 2025?
There’s no official method yet. The FBR hasn’t specified whether to use the price on the day of purchase, the average price over a month, or the first-in-first-out (FIFO) method. Most users rely on third-party tools like Koinly, which use historical exchange data. Until the FBR provides guidance, use the most consistent and documented method you can prove.
Susan Dugan
November 26 2025Okay but can we talk about how wild it is that Pakistan even has a crypto tax at all? I mean, in the US we’re still fighting over whether crypto is property or currency, and here they’ve got a whole ordinance, forms, and accountants trained? Respect. Also, if you’re holding for years and still paying 15%? That’s brutal. I’d be cashing out and moving to Dubai if I were them.