Staff Writer
The Ministry of Finance has announced the integration of its tax and customs payment systems.
“Ministry of Finance wishes to inform taxpayers that the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) and the Automated Systems for Customs Data (Asycuda) are now linked,” Ministry of Finance Chief Public Relations Officer, Tonateni Shidhudhu said.
He said, “the integration of the two systems will now make it possible for information in respect of an import declaration made in Asycuda for deferred payment of Value Added Tax on imports (VIA) to be send to ITAS and automatically processed to the VIA account of the importer.”
Shidhudhu said the operization of integrated systems means that taxpayers will no longer be required to submit VIA returns but will only be required to make the payment before or on the due date which is the 20th of each month.
“When the data declaration from Asycuda is processed in ITAS, taxpayers will receive monthly notifications for VIA declarations to inform them about the captured information and payment due by them. The notifications will be sent via e-mail or alternatively through the post,” he said.
Shidhudhu said the development is part of the ministry’s modernization plans of its operations.
“The new change is part of our modernisation drive to enhance effectiveness in revenue collections and services as this will not only improve government’s ability to keep track of taxpayers information but also alleviates the compliance burden on taxpayers particularly those in the import trading,” he said.
This comes as the Ministry of Finance has extended the due date for the submission of individual annual tax returns from 30 June to the end of September, a move attributed to disruptions due to COVID-19.
