The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has renewed its campaign to dispel misconceptions about the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS), insisting that the system is free and does not amount to an additional tax on businesses.
Hafsah Seguya, the URA Supervisor of Tax Education Outreach, made the clarification during an engagement with members of the Construction Hardware Dealers Association (CHADA) at Hotel Africana, where she urged businesses to understand how EFRIS works and comply with its requirements.
Seguya said EFRIS is designed to manage business transactions and support monitoring of Value Added Tax, rather than impose an extra financial charge on taxpayers. She also assured businesses that URA is ready to train their employees on how to operate the system.
“EFRIS is free and is not a tax, as some people allege. It’s a system that manages your transactions and monitors Value Added Tax. URA is willing to train your staff on how to use EFRIS,” Seguya said.
Edith Kembabazi, Supervisor of Field Management, urged hardware dealers and construction-sector suppliers to take their EFRIS obligations seriously. She said businesses should use the system when selling goods, transporting goods from one location to another and requesting electronic receipts when buying from manufacturers or suppliers.
Kembabazi warned that failing to obtain or issue the required electronic documentation could contribute to non-compliance, urging traders to ensure their transactions are properly recorded regardless of the customer or supplier involved.
Rodgers Senfuma, Acting Manager of the Large Taxpayers Office, also raised concerns over selective invoicing, saying some businesses issue invoices for certain transactions while leaving out others. He described the practice as a major compliance challenge, particularly among some hardware businesses, and called for all eligible transactions to be invoiced.
Yosia Kyesimba, Supervisor of Digital Tax Stamps, used the engagement to explain the sectors that have been brought under EFRIS requirements, including construction. He also highlighted the benefits of the system to businesses, including better stock control and improved management of transactions.
The URA engagement is part of the authority’s continued taxpayer education drive aimed at helping businesses understand their obligations and improve compliance. The tax body is encouraging taxpayers in affected sectors to seek guidance and training instead of relying on claims that EFRIS is a tax or a fee charged by URA.
