Tanzania: Demand receipts, TRA tells consumers

 

21st April 2013

The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has said buyers of consumer goods should develop a culture of demanding fiscal receipts for every purchase made from their sellers. TRA director of educational services Richard Kayombo made the remark during a one-day sensitisation seminar he conducted with journalists, which was held in Dar es Salaam.

 

He said many buyers do not know the importance of receipts for the goods they purchase, saying receipts help keep a good record of the financial transaction during auditing. Also he issued a directive to sellers to make sure they issue legal receipts to their customers for every purchase made or else the government would take to task business people who dare not comply.

 

With effect from May 15, a TRA task force will be commissioned to monitor all traders for making sure they issue receipt to their customers. The exercise will involve business people at all levels of capital investment, he said, emphasisng that they would take stern measures against those not complying, including revocation of their trading licenses.

 

In another development, a TRA senior officer Alvera Ndabagoye stated that there will be a penalty of between one and three million shillings for those who would fail to follow the rules.

 

TRA has started using Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) System to enhance revenue collection and improve expenditure management. Ndabagoye said the use of EFDs has several advantages, like the fact that it will encourage sellers to issue receipts for all goods sold or service rendered and called on stakeholders for cooperation to ensure efficiency.

 

TRA is a semi-autonomous agency of the Government, under the Minister for Finance established with the major functions to assess, collect and account for all Central Government Revenue. Also, to administer effectively and efficiently all the revenue laws of the central government, advise the government on all matters related to fiscal policy and promote voluntary tax compliance. It is also responsible for improving equality of services to the taxpayers, counteracting fraud and other forms of tax evasion as well as producing trade statistics and publications.

 

 

Source: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY