Bennett Advisory will hold a tax clinic in Kampala next month to help business owners keep up with compliance demands as the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) moves to bring more businesses into the tax system.
The clinic will take place at Sheraton Kampala Hotel on Thursday, 19 November, starting at 7am. Sanyu Daisy Namayanja, the founder of Bennett Advisory, said it would equip entrepreneurs with practical knowledge on their tax obligations, compliance deadlines and tax planning.
Speaking to journalists at the firm’s offices in Nakawa, Namayanja said many businesses only seek tax advice when they need a tax clearance certificate or have already received an assessment from URA, a situation she said often exposes them to avoidable costs.
“Stop treating tax as an afterthought. Tax should be a pre-planned expense. If you plan and pay in manageable amounts, you protect your business from assessments that could threaten its survival,” she said.
The clinic comes as the government pursues a domestic revenue mobilisation strategy that aims to raise Uganda’s tax-to-GDP ratio from about 14 per cent to 20 per cent by 2030. Finance ministry officials have said the goal is to broaden the tax base rather than raise tax rates. URA is expected to collect Shs40.16 trillion in taxes in the 2026/27 financial year.
Figures cited at a recent Finance Ministry and URA strategy meeting showed that although about 3.5 million taxpayers are registered, more than 70 per cent of tax revenue comes from about 1,000 individuals and large companies.
Namayanja said the drive to widen the tax base was an opportunity to bring more businesses, particularly in the informal sector, into the tax system instead of placing the burden on the same compliant taxpayers.
“Everyone benefits from taxes paid, yet some people continue earning income without contributing to the tax burden. Broadening the tax base is therefore a welcome move,” she said.
Part of that drive is the expansion of the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS). In August, URA issued a public notice requiring businesses in 12 sectors to issue electronic invoices and receipts through EFRIS, even if they are not registered for VAT. Businesses in those sectors with annual turnover below Shs10 million are exempt.
Under Section 22(3)(m) of the Income Tax Act, an expense is not deductible for income tax purposes if it is not backed by an EFRIS e-invoice or e-receipt where the supplier is required to use the system.
Namayanja urged business owners to insist on electronic receipts for their purchases and to keep proper records to support the expenses they declare.
She warned that businesses that neglect their tax obligations risk substantial assessments, penalties and difficulty obtaining the tax clearance certificates required when bidding for contracts.
According to Namayanja, the clinic will address tax issues in sectors including real estate, construction, manufacturing, mining and quarrying, entertainment and information technology. Participants will be guided on how to structure their businesses and use applicable tax allowances while remaining within the law, and will receive tax compliance calendars setting out their filing and payment deadlines.
She said tax compliance should be seen not only as an obligation but as a business strategy that can improve credibility and open doors to contracts with government agencies, NGOs and private companies.
Bennett Advisory, which Namayanja founded in 2020, provides accounting, tax consultancy, human resource management and audit readiness services to startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, nonprofits and established companies.
Email:homelandnewspaper@gmail.com
