The Prominent Kampala property owners, including tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia, met Uganda Revenue Authority Commissioner General John R. Musinguzi on Thursday at Mestil Hotel to discuss falling rental income tax collections.
The closed-door engagement brought together Ambassador Godfrey Kirumira, chairman of landlords and property owners, other leading city landlords, representatives of the Kampala City Traders Association and URA senior officials. Princess Christine Gertrude Nnabanakulya also attended.
URA convened the talks after rental income tax receipts declined by about 1 per cent in the last financial year, even as most other tax heads recorded average growth of 14 per cent. The real estate sector accounts for roughly 6 to 7 per cent of Uganda’s GDP and remains one of the economy’s fastest-growing areas, yet compliance has not kept pace with that expansion.
Musinguzi welcomed the landlords and singled out Ruparelia as one of the early adopters of the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution. He said the meeting was intended as an honest conversation rather than an exercise in blame, noting that no landlord had been prosecuted for false declaration of rental income during his tenure.
The commissioner general said URA was prepared to support property owners with a dedicated EFRIS onboarding team, written guidance and further physical engagements. He urged landlords to issue proper electronic receipts to tenants and warned that, while dialogue remained the preferred route, enforcement could follow under the Tax Procedures Code Act if necessary.
Musinguzi pointed to Uganda’s tax-to-GDP ratio of about 14 per cent and the fact that debt service absorbs around 40 per cent of collected revenue. He argued that the real estate sector must contribute more if the country is to raise the ratio towards 25 per cent.
Speaking for the landlords, Kirumira thanked URA for the platform and said property owners accepted that the rental sector, like others, must adopt digital tax administration. He called for continuous dialogue, clear guidance before disputes arise, and policies that protect the tax base while taking account of industry realities.
Landlords raised the 50 per cent cap on allowable expenses for companies and other operational difficulties. Musinguzi indicated willingness to discuss possible policy adjustments provided a structured forum for negotiation was established.
The meeting closed with both sides committing to closer collaboration, URA promising practical support and landlords signalling readiness to improve digital compliance.
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