TRA counsels mid-sized companies on tax rights
Speaking at the tax forum for Top 100 Mid-Sized Companies in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the TRA director of taxpayer education and service, Mr Richard Kayombo, said most of the complaints that the Taxman receives stems from the low knowledge of tax laws among taxpayers.
What you need to know:
- Speaking at the tax forum for Top 100 Mid-Sized Companies in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the TRA director of taxpayer education and service, Mr Richard Kayombo, said most of the complaints that the Taxman receives stems from the low knowledge of tax laws among taxpayers.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has counseled Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to become conversant with tax laws so they can defend themselves against unethical officials.
Speaking at the tax forum for Top 100 Mid-Sized Companies in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the TRA director of taxpayer education and service, Mr Richard Kayombo, said most of the complaints that the Taxman receives stems from the low knowledge of tax laws among taxpayers.
“For instance, many people are compelled to pay taxes on scrapped vehicles or vehicles which they do not own just because they do not follow the right procedures on transfer of ownership when they sell them. When you sell vehicles you have to provide information on transfer of ownership. And when the vehicles have been scrapped due to accidents you have to inform the police,” said Mr Kayombo.
He also said business operators are supposed to know procedures on tax assessments in order to defend their rights against repeated complaints against tax officers who make excessive assessment of income generated.
TRA principal investigation officer Ted Shekilashwa said business operators have a room to air their complaints regarding tax payments with TRA district and regional managers.
They were responding to complaints raised by various operators of Top 100 Mid-Sized Companies regarding notorious taxes and unrealistic tax assessments.
The managing director for Travel Partners, Mr Erick Mashauri, complained that TRA had recently banned his vehicles for four days at Makambako town on liability to pay licence fees for some vehicles, which did not exist. Mr Mashauri also complained that TRA had been demanding tax payment on scrapped vehicles, which were no longer owned by his company.
In his remarks, Mwananchi Communications Limited managing director Francis Nanai said that such tax forum for mid-sized firms was an important tool for business growth in the country and thus the need to nurture it.
A research and publications manager for the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, Mr Patrick Mususa, said that TRA was also supposed to build capacity of business operators on financial management, especially knowledge of tax payment procedures.
