By Immaculate Wanyenze
The URA team has currently deployed in Kikuubo for a period of two months to enforce the issuance of all e-receipts/ e-invoices plus tracking of digital stamps on the gazetted products.
The exercise according to Hassan Wassajja, the Ag. Manager EFRIS in URA will focus on all Value Added Tax(VAT) registered suppliers, VAT registered traders operating in and around Kikuubo business community plus suppliers and traders of DTS gazetted products to ensure that they comply with EFRIS and DTS requirements.
“During these checks, URA officials will be sensitizing and providing support services to ensure suppliers and business owners issue fiscalised receipts/ invoices and stamped gazetted products to their customers,” he explained.
For Ibrahim Bbossa, the URA Spokesperson, the move of working together with the trading community leadership to engage traders is intended to bring taxpayer services closer to the business community. This is in response to the traders’ request for more engagement with the Taxman.
“URA has adopted a listening approach to the concerns of the public and business communities and is responding to their needs dynamically and innovatively to make life easier and better for them,” he added.
In order to avoid penalties, URA encourages all suppliers and business owners who are VAT registered to always issue fiscalised invoices for any supply or sale regardless of whether the supplied or sold good/service is subject to VAT at a standard rate, zero rate or exempt.
The public should also buy goods and services from businesses that are using EFRIS, or selling stamped gazetted products. They should also demand fiscalised receipts and invoice or stamped products.
Digital Tax Stamps(DTS) is a solution that enables tracking and tracing of a product right from production or importation through distribution to consumption. The stamps are physical in nature and are applied on goods or their packaging containing security features such as codes for the purposes of fighting counterfeits and allowing for the tracing of goods. The initiative is intended to combat trade illicit, substandard or counterfeit products, protect consumers against harmful products, encourage fair competition in the market, increase government revenue to plan for this country. Currently, there are 13 gazetted products for DTS and the implementation has been in a phased manner. The products include; Beer, Soda, bottled water, wines, spirits, tobacco products, sugar, cement. From May 1st 2022 other products added were; cooking oil, fruit and vegetable juices, non-alcoholic beverages (kombuchas, teas and health drinks, bushera), alcoholic beverages and fermented beverages (cider, mead, perry or other form of beers).
The Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) is an initiative under the Government Domestic Revenue Mobilization Strategy that was designed to manage the issuance and centralized tracking of all e-receipts or e-invoices, enforce the usage by all taxpayers required to improve business efficiencies, reduce the cost of compliance through improved record keeping among taxpayers and mitigate tax administration shortfalls while promoting efficiency.
