Over 500,000 account holders registered for TPINS
By BUSINESS REPORTER THE Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has automated the process of registering Tax Payer Identification Numbers (TPINs) and over 500,000 applicants have been registered to date.
And the authority yesterday trained about 200 tax payers on how to file in returns using an electronic system meant to improve tax compliance levels.
According to ZRA corporate communication manager, Topsy Sikalinda, the authority had been making changes meant to improve tax compliance which included automating the system for innovations such as TPIN registration.
Mr Sikalinda explained in an interview that the authority automated the system a month ago and that it was currently taking taxpayers an hour to obtain the TPIN once registered.
"The system is now automatic, once you make an application within an hour the system will approve the TPIN. From the time we automated the process, the numbers have improved tremendously,
"We have now managed to register an average of 530,000 TPINS from last year and this is great jump from 200-300 range due to our newly launched automated system. The TPIN system was automated a month ago," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Sikalinda said ZRA had observed that the only way to improve compliance was to make sure that it reached as many people as possible in terms of how the E-filing was done and operated.
Mr Sikalinda encouraged the public particularly entrepreneurs to ensure that they filled in returns whether or not they had business during that particular month.
He explained that entrepreneurs were expected to file in zero return if they had not conducted any business during a particular month.
"Once you have registered, whether you have business or not you are expected to file in returns to avoid accumulating penalties on your accounts. If you have not done any business in that particular month, we expect you to file in a zero return,
He emphasized that it was important for the public and business owners to have an idea of how the system operated, thereby improving compliance levels.