Landlords in Moyo District have asked the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to change the way its officials collect information from tenants when assessing rental income tax.The landlords say some URA staff approach tenants directly before engaging the property owners, a practice they believe can sometimes lead to inaccurate information being submitted to the tax authority.
The concerns were raised during a tax education engagement on rental income tax held with landlords in Moyo District.Sulaiman Ibrahim Waikango, a landlord in Moyo, said landlords should be given an opportunity to provide information about their properties and tenants directly to URA.According to the landlords, direct engagement with property owners would give URA access to firsthand information and help reduce possible errors when determining rental tax obligations.The landlords also raised concerns about the number of taxes they are required to pay, arguing that the burden could be reduced if URA expanded the country’s tax base.Landlord Okunzi Richard said some taxpayers face several obligations, including property tax, income tax, and rental tax, which he said can put pressure on their businesses.Responding to the concerns, Muzamil Aluma, Supervisor of Tax Education at URA, acknowledged that the country’s tax base remains relatively small but said the authority is steadily working to expand the taxpayers’ register.Aluma said URA is focused on bringing more taxpayers into the formal tax system so that the tax burden can be distributed across a wider base.On the landlords’ concerns about tenant information, Aluma encouraged property owners to voluntarily disclose their records and provide URA with updated information.
He said firsthand information from landlords would help URA make tax decisions using more reliable records.Aluma also assured the landlords that URA is engaging different groups through tax education programmes to improve understanding of tax obligations and compliance.The engagement concluded with a practical session where landlords were taken through the computation of rental income tax for both individuals and companies.The landlords were also introduced to EFRIS as URA continues its efforts to improve tax administration and compliance across the country.
