Tax on Prize Bond Prizes in 2026: Filer, Non Filer and the Rs 25,000 Question
Published
If a prize bond wins, the government takes its share before you see the money. How big that share is depends on one thing: whether your name is on the Federal Board of Revenue's Active Taxpayer List when the prize is paid.
This guide shows the tax on every prize, explains the new Rs 25,000 surcharge for late filers, and works out when becoming a filer before you claim leaves you with more money.
How the tax works
The office that pays your prize deducts tax from the gross amount first. The rule is section 156 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. Section 156(3) says this tax is a final tax on the prize. You do not pay anything more on it later, and you cannot claim it back.
The rate comes from Division VI of Part III of the First Schedule. Rule 1 of the Tenth Schedule then doubles it for anyone whose name is not on the Active Taxpayer List.
The rates in 2026
FBR's withholding tax rate card, updated up to 30 June 2026 as per the Finance Act 2026, lists these rates for a prize bond:
| Your status when paid | Tax on the prize |
|---|---|
| On the Active Taxpayer List | 15 percent |
| Not on the list | 30 percent |
National Savings gives the same two rates on its own prize bonds page. The Finance Act 2026 did not change them. You may see other figures online. Some news pages still quote 25 or 35 percent for non filers, and an old circular quoting 10 percent still appears in search results. The rate card above is FBR's own current summary, and the Finance Act 2026 itself is the law. Go by those.
Every prize after tax
Prize amounts below are per winning bond, as published in the draw results on savings.gov.pk. Always read the amount on the official list for your own draw.
| Bond | Prize | Amount | Filer keeps | Non filer keeps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rs 100 | First | Rs 700,000 | Rs 595,000 | Rs 490,000 |
| Rs 100 | Second | Rs 200,000 | Rs 170,000 | Rs 140,000 |
| Rs 100 | Third | Rs 1,000 | Rs 850 | Rs 700 |
| Rs 200 | First | Rs 750,000 | Rs 637,500 | Rs 525,000 |
| Rs 200 | Second | Rs 250,000 | Rs 212,500 | Rs 175,000 |
| Rs 200 | Third | Rs 1,250 | Rs 1,062.50 | Rs 875 |
| Rs 750 | First | Rs 1,500,000 | Rs 1,275,000 | Rs 1,050,000 |
| Rs 750 | Second | Rs 500,000 | Rs 425,000 | Rs 350,000 |
| Rs 750 | Third | Rs 9,300 | Rs 7,905 | Rs 6,510 |
| Rs 1,500 | First | Rs 3,000,000 | Rs 2,550,000 | Rs 2,100,000 |
| Rs 1,500 | Second | Rs 1,000,000 | Rs 850,000 | Rs 700,000 |
| Rs 1,500 | Third | Rs 18,500 | Rs 15,725 | Rs 12,950 |
| Premium Rs 25,000 | First | Rs 30,000,000 | Rs 25,500,000 | Rs 21,000,000 |
| Premium Rs 25,000 | Second | Rs 10,000,000 | Rs 8,500,000 | Rs 7,000,000 |
| Premium Rs 25,000 | Third | Rs 300,000 | Rs 255,000 | Rs 210,000 |
| Premium Rs 40,000 | First | Rs 80,000,000 | Rs 68,000,000 | Rs 56,000,000 |
| Premium Rs 40,000 | Second | Rs 30,000,000 | Rs 25,500,000 | Rs 21,000,000 |
| Premium Rs 40,000 | Third | Rs 500,000 | Rs 425,000 | Rs 350,000 |
The Premium Rs 40,000 first prize is Rs 80,000,000 in the official result file for the draw of 10 September 2026 in Sialkot and on the National Savings premium bond page. If you have seen Rs 75,000,000 quoted, that figure does not match the official files. The amounts in this table have been the same in every official result file since 2019.
Some values pay more than one prize at the top: the Premium Rs 25,000 bond has two first prizes and five second prizes in every draw, the Rs 200 bond five second prizes, and the others three second prizes. The tax works per winning bond, so the table holds whichever of those prizes you won. For any other amount, use our prize bond tax calculator.
When filing late pays, and when it does not
Filing your income tax return by the due date puts you on the Active Taxpayer List at no extra cost. For tax year 2026 FBR extended the due date to 15 October 2026 (ProPakistani, 30 September 2026).
Miss the date and it gets expensive. Under section 182A, a person who files late is kept off the list. An individual gets back on only by paying a surcharge, and the Finance Act 2026 raised that surcharge from Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000.
So the question is simple arithmetic. Being on the list cuts the tax by 15 percent of the prize. That saving is bigger than the Rs 25,000 surcharge only when the prize is above about Rs 166,667, which is Rs 25,000 divided by 15 percent. You also pay for preparing the return.
| Prize | Filing saves | After the Rs 25,000 surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Rs 750 third prize, Rs 9,300 | Rs 1,395 | You lose Rs 23,605 |
| Rs 1,500 third prize, Rs 18,500 | Rs 2,775 | You lose Rs 22,225 |
| Rs 100 second prize, Rs 200,000 | Rs 30,000 | You gain Rs 5,000 |
| Rs 750 second prize, Rs 500,000 | Rs 75,000 | You gain Rs 50,000 |
| Rs 750 first prize, Rs 1,500,000 | Rs 225,000 | You gain Rs 200,000 |
In plain words:
- Every third prize is below the line. Paying the surcharge for a third prize alone leaves you worse off.
- Every first and second prize on the Rs 200, Rs 750 and Rs 1,500 bonds is well above it.
- The Rs 100 second prize is close. It gains Rs 5,000, and the cost of preparing a return can take most or all of that.
If your prize is small and you are not a filer, there is a second route. You have six years from the draw to claim a bearer bond prize. A return filed on time in the next filing season carries no surcharge. Once your name is on the list, claim at 15 percent.
A cheaper route may be coming
The Finance Act 2026 also added section 182A(3). It lets an individual skip the surcharge by giving an undertaking not to buy or take ownership of any property for six months. On 6 October 2026 FBR published draft rules setting out how to give that undertaking, through a new form in IRIS (ProPakistani, 6 October 2026).
On 14 October 2026 those rules were still a draft. Do not plan a claim around them until they are final. If they become final, the Rs 25,000 break even falls away for anyone willing to accept the six month property condition. Filing late would then pay whenever the tax saved is more than the cost of preparing the return.
Premium Prize Bonds
Premium Prize Bonds of Rs 25,000 and Rs 40,000 are registered to your CNIC. Their prizes are credited to the bank account linked to the bond, with the same 15 or 30 percent deducted. There is no claim to delay. If you hold premium bonds and you are not a filer, sort out your return before the draw, not after it. Our premium and bearer comparison covers the other differences.
If you have just won
- Confirm the win against the official list on savings.gov.pk. Our draw pages carry the full lists.
- Check your status. Send ATL, a space and your 13 digit CNIC to 9966, or use FBR's Active Taxpayer status page.
- If you are on the list, claim. Our claim guide lists the papers.
- If you are not, put your prize into the tax calculator and see whether filing first pays.
- Keep the paperwork. The prize and the tax deducted belong in your next return.
If you want the return handled, Axiom Square files salaried returns for a flat Rs 5,000 and confirms your Active Taxpayer List status afterwards.
This is general information, not tax advice. Axiom Bonds is not affiliated with FBR, the State Bank of Pakistan or National Savings.
Questions people ask
How much tax is deducted from a prize bond prize in 2026?
15 percent of the gross prize if your name is on FBR's Active Taxpayer List when the prize is paid, and 30 percent if it is not. The rates are unchanged by the Finance Act 2026.
Is the tax on a prize bond prize final?
Yes. Section 156(3) of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 makes the deduction a final tax on the prize, so nothing more is due on it when you file your return.
Does it pay to file late just to claim at the filer rate?
Only for prizes above about Rs 166,667. Joining the Active Taxpayer List after the due date costs an individual a Rs 25,000 surcharge, and filing saves 15 percent of the prize.
Is the tax rate set on the draw date or the payment date?
The tax is deducted when the prize is paid, so what counts is whether your name is on the list at that time. You have six years from the draw to claim a bearer bond prize.
Are Premium Prize Bond prizes taxed the same way?
The same 15 and 30 percent rates apply. Premium prizes are credited straight to your bank account, so your filer status needs to be in order before the draw.