The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has taken its electronic tax compliance campaign to Arua, engaging hotel owners and accommodation operators on the need to adopt the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) and ensure proper documentation of business transactions.
The sensitisation exercise focused on educating hospitality businesses about their responsibility to issue electronic invoices and receipts, while highlighting the importance of complying with the country’s tax regulations. URA is encouraging businesses to embrace the system as a way of improving transparency, accountability and efficiency in tax administration.
Hotels and accommodation facilities are among the 12 gazetted business sectors required to implement EFRIS, following the introduction of the compliance requirement on July 1, 2026. The authority is continuing to engage operators to ensure they understand the requirements and make the necessary adjustments to their business operations.
Beyond addressing hotel operators, URA used the engagement to educate customers about their rights when purchasing services from VAT-registered businesses. The authority reminded guests that they are entitled to receive an electronic receipt or invoice after paying for accommodation and other taxable services.
Isaac Gyagenda, the Supervisor of Tax Education at URA, emphasised that electronic receipts should be treated as important proof of financial transactions rather than ordinary payment slips. He explained that the documents help establish whether payments have been properly recorded and the corresponding tax obligations fulfilled.
“A slip is not mere paper. It is evidence your cash was recorded, your tax was settled, and your enterprise is compliant. Without it, you settle the bill twice,” Gyagenda told participants during the engagement in Arua.
URA explained that EFRIS plays an important role in strengthening tax administration by helping businesses record transactions electronically and maintain accurate financial information. The system also enables customers to have verifiable proof of payments, protecting them against possible misunderstandings or disputes with service providers.
The authority has consequently called on hotel proprietors, managers and other accommodation service providers in Arua to embrace electronic invoicing and receipting as a standard business practice. Customers have also been encouraged to demand their electronic receipts whenever they transact with VAT-registered hotels, as URA continues its nationwide efforts to improve tax compliance.
