By Mulengera Reporters
Kampala city tycoon and property investor Godfrey Kirumira has urged the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to strengthen its engagement with landlords and real estate developers, saying continuous dialogue is critical to improving tax compliance in the rental sector.
Kirumira made the call during a high-level engagement between URA leadership and prominent Kampala property owners and their representatives at Mestil Hotel in Nsambya, where the two sides discussed persistent tax compliance gaps and stagnation in rental income tax collections.
The meeting was attended by URA Commissioner General John R. Musinguzi and stakeholders from the real estate sector.
Kirumira welcomed the engagement, describing it as an important platform for direct communication between the tax authority and property owners whose investments contribute significantly to Uganda’s economy.
He urged URA to make such engagements regular rather than convening landlords only when disputes arise, saying sustained dialogue would allow both sides to address challenges and plan for the growth of the economy.
According to Kirumira, buildings across Kampala and other urban centers represent years of investment, borrowing, personal savings and family enterprises, while also creating employment, supporting businesses and expanding the government’s tax base.
He cautioned that protecting the businesses and investments from which taxes are collected should be a priority for the tax authority, stressing that a healthy relationship between taxpayers and URA would strengthen the wider economic chain.
Kirumira called for URA to establish a dedicated engagement mechanism for landlords staffed by officials who understand the realities of the property and rental industry.
He said clear guidance from the authority would help taxpayers understand their obligations and avoid mistakes that could later develop into disputes.
He further argued that educating and guiding taxpayers should form an important part of URA’s compliance strategy, saying properly informed taxpayers were more likely to make compliance a routine practice.
Kirumira backs EFRIS rollout
On the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS), Kirumira said landlords understood that the system was intended as a digital tax administration solution rather than a new tax.
He said the rental sector was willing to participate in the transition towards digital tax administration, but urged URA to ensure that implementation takes into account the practical realities faced by landlords and property managers.
Kirumira said the interests of URA and taxpayers should not be viewed as fundamentally opposed, arguing that both sides depend on a functioning economic system in which businesses remain viable and government revenue is sustained.
The engagement comes as URA seeks to address compliance challenges in the rental sector, particularly around the declaration and collection of rental income taxes.
Kirumira urged the authority and property owners to approach the challenge through cooperation rather than confrontation, saying long-term progress would require both sides to work together.
He also called for the current engagement to become part of a broader culture of consultation between URA and the real estate sector, extending beyond tax disputes to discussions on policies affecting the future of property investment and Uganda’s economy.
The meeting brought together landlords, developers and investors at a time when the government is seeking to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization while encouraging continued investment in the property sector. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
