PSEB Freelance Program (Pakistan)

What it is

The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), under the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, runs a registration programme for individual freelancers as well as companies and call centres. Its site describes the Freelance Program as offering "exclusive benefits to freelancers" who earn from the global market.

Why freelancers register

The main reason most freelancers give is tax. Pakistan treats income from exporting IT and IT-enabled services differently from ordinary income, and registration with PSEB is one of the conditions for the lower rate on such income when the money comes into Pakistan through banking channels. The exact rates, conditions and deadlines are set in each year's Finance Act and change, so this page does not quote them. Check the current position on the PSEB site and with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), or ask a tax adviser.

Whether AI data and training work counts as an IT-enabled service for this purpose is a question to confirm, not assume. Keep the contracts or terms of each platform you work for, since they describe the service you provide.

What you need to keep

Whatever you decide about registration, the habits that protect you are the same:

• Receive payments through banking channels or licensed payment services that can show the money came from abroad.
• Keep a record of every payout: date, platform, amount in dollars and amount received in rupees.
• Ask your bank about the documents it can issue for foreign remittances.
• File your tax return, and keep platform statements for each year.

Cautions

• Register only on the official PSEB site. Agents who charge to "register you" are unnecessary.
• Rules are reviewed in every budget. Recheck each July.

Best for: freelancers in Pakistan, including AI data and training contractors, who receive foreign payments and want to understand the official registration route.