Retail trade is the buying of goods from wholesalers or distributors and selling them to final consumers in small quantities.

In the wholesale and retail sector, there are two categories of taxpayers.

• Small Business taxpayers with total annual sales that don’t exceed Ugx 150,000,000
• VAT registered taxpayers with total annual sales above Ugx 150,000,000

All businesses in Uganda are required to be registered with

• Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) for business name
• Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for taxes i.e. acquiring a TIN
• Local council authority e.g. KCCA, municipal council, for a trading license

Please note:

You will NOT be issued with a trading license unless you have a TIN

Click here for details on requirements for registration of your wholesale/retail business

• You’re required to visit the URA portal on ura.go.ug
• Click here to register as an individual
• Click here to register as a non-individual

In case you cannot register online, visit the nearest URA office for assistance or call the toll-free line 0800117000/0800217000 or WhatsApp: 0772140000

As a taxpayer, you’re entitled to rights. However, there are obligations that you must fulfill.

Click here   for your rights as a  taxpayer  

Click here for your obligations as a taxpayer

You need to keep records relating to all transactions in your business. It is important to always have records that are dated so that you can understand which reports relate to what period. These include;

• Income statement records
• Receipt and invoice records
• Payment vouchers
• Import schedules in case you’re an importer
• Contracts executed
• Bank statements
• Appointment letters for your employees and proof of payment of their salaries
• Utility bills
• Stock records
• Asset registers
• Debtors and Creditors

Please note Clients who are VAT registered must issue e-Invoices through the EFRIS platform

Click here to learn more about EFRIS

• Keep proper records of all business transactions in the English language.
• If you wish to keep records in a different language, apply in writing with clear reasons to the commissioner for permission.
• Where a record is not in English, you will be required to meet the cost of translation into English by a translator approved by the Commissioner.
• Keep records such that it is easy to determine your tax liability;
• Keep records for five years after the end of the tax period to which they relate for future reference.
• You are required to maintain business records for at least five (5) years at any one time
• The records kept should contain sufficient transaction information and should be saved in a format that is capable of being recovered and converted to a standard understandable.