Entertainment
Salaried class once again emerges as single largest income tax contributor, shows FBR data
- Three sectors paid Rs293bn, salaried Rs315bn.
- Salaried taxpayers paid Rs22bn more overall.
- Data released just before IMF review mission.
ISLAMABAD: The salaried class has once again emerged as the single largest income tax contributor, paying more than exporters, retailers and property buyers and sellers combined during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, The News reported, citing Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) data.
Three major sectors, including retailers who own three million outlets, exporters who earn in foreign exchange, and sellers and purchasers of properties, have cumulatively coughed up Rs293 billion into the national kitty in the July-Jan period of FY26, while the salaried class paid Rs315 billion alone in this period.
Just ahead of the upcoming IMF review mission, this data shows that the powerful and politically entrenched segments are paying less than the salaried class.
It is yet to be seen whether the newly established Tax Policy Office under the umbrella of the Finance Ministry at Q Block will be able to convince the IMF for slashing tax burden on the salaried class in the next budget for 2026-27.
It shows that the salaried class paid Rs22 billion more as a standalone than the three major sectors of the economy.
Official data of the FBR shows that the exporters paid out tax of Rs50 billion in the first seven months (July-Jan) period of the current fiscal year against Rs54 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.
As an advance tax of 1%, exporters paid Rs51 billion in the first seven months so their total contribution stood at Rs101 billion in the first seven months of FY26 compared to Rs101 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
The retailers who own 3 million establishments across the country have paid out Rs15 billion as advance tax under section 236G on sales to distributors, dealers, and wholesalers in the first seven months of the current fiscal year against Rs13.5 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
Under 236H, the retailers have paid out Rs25 billion in the first seven months of FY26 against Rs19 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
The FBR has collected Rs105 billion on the sale and transfer of immovable property under 236C of Income Tax in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, compared to Rs65 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
In the budget 2025-26, the gross amount of transactions does not exceed Rs50 million, and there will be a rate of 4.5% for person exist in the Active Taxpayer List. Where the gross amount of the transaction exceeds Rs50 million but does not exceed Rs100 million, the tax rate for an ATL person will be 5%.
Where the gross amount of a property transaction exceeds Rs100 million, the tax rate for an ATL person is fixed at 5.5%.
The person not in ATL will have to pay a tax of 11.5% under 236C. A person who filed late returns will have to pay 7.5%, 8.5%, and 9.5% for transaction amounts of Rs50 million, Rs 100 million and exceeding Rs100 million.
The FBR has collected Rs47 billion on the purchase and transfer of immovable property in the first seven months of CFY26 compared to Rs66 billion collected in the same period of the last financial year.
On the purchase of property, the tax rates were reduced to 1.5% for person exist in ATL up to a transaction of Rs50 million, 2% for ATL persons where the transaction amount exceeds Rs50 million but does not exceed Rs100 million, and 2.5% where the transaction amount exceeds Rs100 million.
On the other hand, the salaried class belonging to both the public and private sectors have contributed Rs315 billion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year compared to Rs284 billion in the same period of the last financial year.
Tom Kane, the legendary voice actor famous for his iconic roles in Star Wars and The Powerpuff Girls, has died at the age of 64.
His death occurred on Monday and was confirmed in a touching Facebook statement by his talent agency, Galactic Productions.
The agency praised Kane as an extraordinary performer whose extensive work shaped the childhoods and imaginations of millions across the globe, bringing wisdom, strength, humour, and heart to every single role he touched.
The Kansas City native built a remarkably long career in the industry, having started out in voiceover work when he was just 15 years old.
Star Wars fans will know him best as the voice behind the beloved Jedi Master Yoda in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as Admiral Ackbar in the 2017 film Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Beyond a galaxy far, far away, Kane was also the voice of Professor Utonium in Cartoon Network’s The Powerpuff Girls from 2016 to 2019.
He was a staple of the gaming world too, lending his vocal talents to major titles like the Call of Duty franchise, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and Marvel Future Revolution.
Tragically, Kane’s prolific voiceover career was cut short a few years ago.
In 2020, he suffered a stroke that left him largely unable to speak, a devastating blow for a man whose voice had become such a comforting and recognisable part of so many people’s lives and memories.
Aside from his immense professional success, his agency made sure to highlight his reputation as a deeply compassionate family man.
Off-screen, Tom was a devoted husband and father who, alongside his wife, built a loving family of nine children, three biological and six welcomed through adoption and fostering.
Galactic Productions noted that this generosity defined who he was just as much as his remarkable talent.
Kane is survived by his wife, Cindy, and their children.
His agency beautifully concluded their tribute by writing that though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever, adding, “May the Force be with you, always.”
An important Harry Potter actress has left the highly anticipated new HBO series just before the production moves on to season two.
Gracie Cochrane, the young star playing Ron Weasley’s younger sister, Ginny Weasley, in the upcoming first season of the TV adaptation, has abruptly walked away from the high-profile franchise.
Her exit triggers an immediate recasting process for the major role ahead of the second season, which is scheduled to begin filming this autumn following an early renewal by the network.
The shocking departure was confirmed by Cochrane and her family in a statement explaining that she had made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season one due to unforeseen circumstances.
The family added that her time in the wizarding world had been truly wonderful and expressed gratitude to casting director Lucy Bevan and the production team.
HBO followed up with its own statement, offering full support for the family’s decision, thanking Cochrane for her work on the first season, and wishing her the best for the future.
This unexpected casting shake-up comes just seven months before the latest television adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s books officially hits screens on Christmas 2026.
The eight-episode debut season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will introduce a fresh-faced core cast led by 12-year-old Dominic McLaughlin as the titular young wizard, alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy.
Heavyweight acting talent like John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, and Nick Frost are also confirmed to star.
Losing Cochrane at this stage is a significant hurdle for the showrunners, as Ginny Weasley’s character expands drastically in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which will serve as the basis for the next block of episodes.
Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, excitement for the series remains incredibly high, especially after HBO dropped its first teaser trailer on 25 March.
The project has even received the ultimate blessing from original cinema star Daniel Radcliffe, who sent a sweet letter to McLaughlin wishing him well and telling him he hoped he had an even better time on set than he did.
While McLaughlin admitted he went mad with excitement reading the note on a train, the production team must now focus on finding a new actress capable of stepping into Ginny’s shoes before cameras roll again.
Sony has confirmed a price hike for its PlayStation Plus subscription service.
Effective May 20, new subscribers in selected regions will pay higher rates for the one-month and three-month plans.
The charges have increased from $10 to $ 10.90, while the three-month subscription has increased from $25 to $27.99.
The cost increase will mainly impact the Essential subscription package, which is the base subscription package needed to play online multiplayer games on PS4 and PS5 consoles.
Whether the other packages, like the Extra and Premium packages, will see an increase is yet to be seen. Sony has not commented on this development yet.
Current subscribers do not have to pay more unless they upgrade their subscription tier. However, subscribers in Turkey and India will see immediate increases irrespective of their status.
Indeed, the growth comes just six months ahead of the scheduled launch of Grand Theft Auto VI, a game that will certainly bring millions of new gamers to the world of online gaming, all requiring PlayStation Plus subscriptions in order to play GTA Online.
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