If you are buying or selling in Islamabad and someone quotes a tax figure from the February 2026 valuation tables, stop and check it. Those tables are no longer current. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) replaced them on 16 April 2026 with SRO 644(I)/2026, which supersedes SRO 163(I)/2026 of 2 February 2026 and SRO 332(I)/2026 of 24 February 2026. In many urban sectors the April table cuts values by 10 to 35 percent from the February figures, and it lowers superstructure values as well. A deal priced on the February tables can overstate the tax payable, and that error can kill a fair deal.
How Islamabad got three tables in five months
The sequence matters, because each step is still quoted online as if it were current. In December 2025, SRO 2392(I)/2025 raised Islamabad values sharply and met strong objections, so implementation was suspended until 31 January 2026. In February 2026, SRO 163(I)/2026 raised values by roughly 15 to 75 percent depending on location, with a further amendment under SRO 332(I)/2026 later that month. The February tables also excluded DHA Islamabad.
In April 2026, FBR moved the other way for many sectors. SRO 644(I)/2026, issued on 16 April 2026, supersedes both February notifications. Dawn reported on 23 April 2026 that the April change cut many urban sectors by 10 to 35 percent, as tax relief. That is the table in force, subject to later amendments.
What the April table actually changes
The most useful change is in the sector rates. In B-17, residential plots with possession fell from Rs 30,000 to Rs 21,000 per square yard, and plots without possession from Rs 15,000 to Rs 10,500. In C-14, the rate fell from Rs 30,000 to Rs 21,000, in C-15 from Rs 25,000 to Rs 17,500, and in C-16 from Rs 20,000 to Rs 14,000. In D-12, constructed flats fell from about Rs 15,000 to about Rs 10,500 per square foot, and in D-13 plot rates fell from Rs 16,000 to Rs 11,200 per square yard.
Elsewhere, G-13 fell from Rs 100,000 to Rs 70,000 per square yard, Margalla Town from Rs 55,000 to Rs 38,500, and Banigala from Rs 35,000 to Rs 24,500. Gulberg Residencia possession plots fell from Rs 19,000 to Rs 13,300, a cut of about 30 percent.
Some prime rates stayed high. E-7 plots remain at Rs 225,000 per square yard, F-6 and F-7 open plots at Rs 210,000, and Blue Area flats on Jinnah Avenue at Rs 100,000 per square foot. The February figure for your sector is not a safe substitute for the April figure.
Superstructures, rural areas and the higher value rule
For buildings, the April table also lowers the standard values. Superstructures are now valued at Rs 2,500 per square foot for buildings up to five years old, down from Rs 3,000 in February, and Rs 1,200 per square foot for older structures, down from Rs 1,500. Those benchmarks sit alongside the land value to give the total taxable value. A five year old house and a six year old house of the same size will not carry the same figure.
Rural parts of the capital are treated differently again. There, valuations follow the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) or District Collector rates dated 1 July 2025. Where that value differs from the FBR table, the higher value applies. Check both figures and budget on the higher one. Do not carry an Islamabad calculation across to Rawalpindi; check the Rawalpindi table on its own date.
What this changes for buyers
For a buyer, a lower FBR value usually means lower tax payable at registration, even if the agreed price has not changed. The exact saving depends on locality, building size and age, filer status and the taxes that apply. Published guides disagree on current advance tax percentages, so this guide does not quote a single rate.
Do three checks before you sign. First, ask for the April table value for your exact sector, in writing. If the quote matches the February figure, ask for it to be reworked on SRO 644(I)/2026. Second, work out the total cost on the April taxable value. Third, check for amendments after April. A guide that checked FBR's page on 2 October 2026 notes SRO 1335(I)/2026, dated 7 August 2026, adding E-8 shops. The base April PDF alone is not enough if your property falls under a later amendment.
What this changes for sellers
For a seller, the April cut can help a deal close, but only if it is shown. A buyer quoted February tax may have walked away from a fair price, or may still be negotiating down to cover a tax bill that no longer applies at that level. State the April table value early, show how the tax was worked out, and keep the calculation with the sale documents.
Lower official values reduce the tax cost of transacting, but they do not by themselves move market prices. Judge the sale on location and demand, with the April tax cost included.
How to check your deal, step by step
Start with SRO 644(I)/2026, dated 16 April 2026, and the table entry for your locality, then check every amendment listed under Islamabad after that date, including the August 2026 E-8 amendment. Confirm whether the property falls under the urban table, a society table such as Gulberg, or the rural District Collector route.
Then confirm the taxes that apply and your filer status, and get the calculation in writing before the registry date. Keep the table extract, any amendment and every receipt with the sale deed. Resolve any disputed figure before registration. Finally, verify the property itself with the same care as the tax.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current FBR Islamabad valuation table?
SRO 644(I)/2026, dated 16 April 2026. It supersedes SRO 163(I)/2026 and SRO 332(I)/2026. Check later amendments too, including the August 2026 E-8 amendment.
How much did the April table cut values?
By 10 to 35 percent in many urban sectors, compared with the February tables. The exact change depends on sector and property type, so check your table entry.
What is the April superstructure value in Islamabad?
Rs 2,500 per square foot for buildings up to five years old, and Rs 1,200 per square foot for older structures, down from Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,500 in February.
What applies in rural Islamabad?
District Collector rates dated 1 July 2025 apply. Where that value differs from the FBR table, the higher value applies.
The bottom line
Islamabad valuations moved twice in 2026, first up in February, then down in April, and the April table is the one that counts. Check your exact April entry and later amendments before you sign. A deal priced on the February tables is priced on the wrong numbers.
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