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Kampala Traders, Traders Agree On Tax Education

As part of its ongoing sensitization campaign on the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) and Digital Tracking Solution (DTS) in the Kampala Central Business District, URA engaged traders in Edmul and Giant Plaza early this week.

Traders were tipped on the usage of EFRIS, complying with DTS, presumptive taxes, and using other URA systems during the door-to-door engagements. According to field reports, some traders are compliant and have settled their tax obligations.

On the other hand, traders expressed concern about what they described as disruptive operations that are frustrating their clients. They asked government agencies to collaborate on such operations as opposed to conducting them independently.

Ag. Manager of Tax Education Michael Masembe the proposal, pointing out that the tax authority is aware of "taxpayer fatigue" because different government entities contact taxpayers at various times. He emphasized the Taxpayer Register Expansion Program (TREP) which was created to address the issue.

“There is some mileage that we have achieved towards that front; it is a work in progress, and there are efforts to confront that challenge,” he stated.

On the enforcement of EFRIS and DTS in downtown Kampala, Masembe clarified that this is only being conducted in areas where engagements have previously taken place.

“We agreed with the leadership of the business community that before any enforcement is conducted within the Kampala CBD, there is intensive tax education, especially on the new interventions that URA is rolling out; this is what we are doing currently,” he emphasized.

According to Masembe, the engagements, which commenced in August, last year, will continue throughout this financial year.