Uganda Revenue Authority organized a meeting with landlords in Kitgum recently to remind them of their tax obligations, check their compliance and equip them with tax knowledge in return filing, rental tax computations, and the objections process in case of a tax dispute.

Andrew Kyakonye, the team lead educator, ensured that the landlords understood their rights as taxpayers and the compliance gaps that may cost them if ignored and conferred with them on return filing and objections processes where the taxpayers learnt how to compute their rental tax.

“When filing returns, make sure you have your tenancy agreements to be on the safe side,” said Kyakonye.

Similarly, he explained that tax disputes can be handled starting with the objections desk at URA, alternative dispute resolution, tax appeals tribunal and then courts of law. Taxpayers were however, encouraged to first seek dialogue with URA before approaching the courts of law to avoid the long costly streaks of courts.

“Please endeavour to respond to our tax decisions within 45 days if you have an objection. This is because we want to listen to you before we enforce the tax assessment,” said Gerald Nsubuga, a domestic taxes officer at the Kitgum office.

Taxpayers raised issues of tax laws being punitive, while subjecting them to much higher taxes than they can pay.

“Here in Kitgum, the tax burden is only on a few people which I think is unfair, what are you doing to get more taxpayers onboard?” asked the speaker of Kitgum municipality, Reagan Nokrach.

Albert Mugisha, a domestic taxes officer in Kitgum, responded by saying URA is an implementer of the law hence the face that taxpayers see.

He also clarified that URA only provides the Ministry of Finances with policies for consideration but parliament ultimately decides and passes the tax laws that are implemented by URA.

URA committed to supporting taxpayers in fulfilling their tax obligations and the taxpayers pledged to create their association of landlords to enable them to receive timely information from URA as a cohort to boost their tax morale.

By Elizabeth Nakiru