Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has directed all individuals earning from entertainment activities to get Tax Identification Numbers (TINs), failure of which could result in fines or imprisonment.
Bbosa Ibrahim Kibuuka, the Assistant Commissioner Public and Cooperative Affairs and URA spokesperson said that the TIN is what identifies an individual or business with the tax body.
“We are requiring those in the entertainment industry to get a tax identification number. This tax identification number is what identifies an individual or a business with the tax body and in case of a refund the URA uses the same tax identification number,” Kibuuka said.
Kibuuka explained that there are many people who have joined the entertainment center and many of those probably may not be aware of the obligation of paying tax on income that they generate from the industry.
“Individuals or businesses that have been getting income are obliged by law to file returns with the tax body which include expenses and gross income. This helps URA to compute the tax that one needs to pay depending on the returns filed,” Kibuuka said.
Some of those include artists, authors, performers, producers, promoters, event managers among others.
However, according to Kibuuka, URA is not interested in penalizing those who would fail to comply but they are more interested in voluntary compliance.
URA as a tax body is interested in educating the public to know their obligation.