In this interview, Rytter Muzira, the Supervisor, Media Management at Uganda Revenue Authority, speaks to Robert Mutebi, the Commissioner of Information Technology and Innovation on the progress of this strategy and how it is shaping URA into a service organisation that puts the taxpayer first. What are the goals for the ICT department in URA and what are some of the steps you are taking to achieve them? As a department, we have three goals: to deliver services instantly, to include everyone in our services, and to ensure our systems are interoperable. One of the key factors for achieving these…
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) are now popular gear, especially for people engaged in the film industry, videography, vlogging and tourism, amongst other businesses. On the other hand, away from such civilian uses, drones are also known to be used for subversive and illegal purposes such as reconnaissance and surveillance (spying) and in some cases targeted attacks, activities otherwise reserved for state security actors. Uncontrolled flying of drones may also pose safety risks to other users of Ugandan airspace such as aircraft as well as pose safety risks if flown in busy residential or urban areas. It is for these security…
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What is the Exchange of Information Exchange program? Exchange of Information is the cross-border sharing of taxpayer information by tax administrations under a legal framework. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Forum annual report, 2020, multilateral cooperation on transparency and the exchange of information for tax purposes is becoming an increasingly important tool for tax administrations in mobilizing revenues and ensuring that all taxpayers pay what is due. This is on the backdrop of the increased economic globalisation that has made it easy for taxpayers to hide income and assets in other jurisdictions behind layers…
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By James Asiimwe Kamara Tax is a price we pay for a civilised and organised society. It is the major source of revenue that enables governments the world over to provide public amenities for their citizens. Whereas the Government of Uganda is mandated to collect tax from eligible citizens, it performs the role within the premises of a set legal framework and puts into consideration the rights and obligations of taxpayers. Uganda is operating a modern tax regime where the opportunity to determine how much tax to pay is first extended to the taxpayer. This is referred to as a…
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#1 Gary Kizito Manager Business Analysis As part of the concept development team, Gary Kizito led a bench marking team which did several studies across East Africa and beyond in order to get much needed lessons and develop a system that was meant to address several tax administrations challenges. He says the EFRIS concept was designed to help taxpayers improve their record keeping, by making sure they don’t pay unfair tax that is being assessed because of absence of records. Gary Kizito is Manager Business Analysis at Uganda Revenue Authority. Kizito has served in different capacities for about 12 years…
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Uganda Revenue Authority has in the last 3 months, won thirteen tax suits worth UGX103,345,211,794 in the Tax Appeals Tribunal. The rulings that were made between March and May 2020 mostly pertain to Value Added Tax (VAT), Excise Duty, Withholding Tax and Income Tax. URA also won a High Court case filed against it by Fuelex Uganda Limited claiming that URA had caused the loss of 76,000 litres of assorted fuel as well as UGX164,245,100 and Kshs. 500,000 in cash when the revenue body raided and took over Fuelex Nalukolongo petrol station in search of contraband fuel on the 21st…
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James Kizza, Acting Commissioner, Corporate Services. For his role in URA’s digitisation Agenda, Kizza was in November 2019 awarded the CIO of the Year Award 2019 at the 2019 East Africa CIO100 Awards in Nairobi Kenya, beating stiff competition from several CTOs in the region. James Kizza is an experienced Information Technology professional, who has worked at URA for 27 years, rising to the rank of Assistant Commissioner in charge of IT, from whence he was appointed to become the Acting Commissioner Corporate Services. The Corporate Services Department, oversees the divisions of Finance, Human Resource, Administration and IT. He joined URA…
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On March 29th President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, in exercise of his powers, relieved Doris Akol of her office as Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority and replaced her with John Musinguzi Rujoki. The news caught the entire country by surprise because Mr. Musinguzi was an ‘outsider’ in the tax world- you may say. Unlike Allen Kagina- URA’s Commissioner-General between 2004 and 2014 and Doris Akol- URA’s Commissioner-General between November 2014 and March 2020, who had worked for 12 years and 19 years respectively, before becoming Commissioner Generals, Musinguzi had zero experience at Uganda Revenue Authority. The closest that he had…
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Dicksons Collins Kateshumbwa the indefatigable former Uganda Revenue Authority Commissioner in the Domestic Taxes, department has spoken out about his resignation, dismissing reports that he was fired or forced to resign. “I resigned on my will. My contract was still running,” he told this reporter via WhatsApp. He however declined to answer why he resigned. We tried to probe further, asking him, whether he had fallen out with the new Commissioner General, Musinguzi John Rujoki, but he did not answer back. I have decided to take early exit from @URAuganda after 14 years of service. Coincidentally my tenure as WCO…
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In a bid to ease COVID-19 related pressures on taxpayers, Uganda Revenue Authority has announced, it will allow various amnesties, extensions for filing tax returns and penalties. In the announcement made today, March 24th, 2020 taxpayers whose accounting date is in September and were due to file their Corporation Tax returns by 31st March 2020 but are unable to, have been granted a two (2) months reprieve. The new date for filing is May 31st, 2020. All penalties related to late submission of these returns shall be canceled if the returns are filed on or before 31st May 2020. In…
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