Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) has urged taxpayers to embrace the use of Electronic Billing Machines to modernise their business and manage well their stock.The machines, certified by RRA, are meant to be used to issue tax receipts and automatically calculate value added tax owed by businesses to RRA. They are also meant to control sales and stock by processing and storing invoices.Addressing the business community from three districts in the Northern Province, Pierre Celestin Bumbakare, Commissioner for Domestic Taxes at RRA, said the billing machines will modernise sale outlets with new management tools and combat unfair competition among taxpayers.The districts are Musanze, Burera and Gakenke.“Tax payers registered for VAT should abide by the regulations and issue receipt using e-billing machines. We shouldn’t keep operating in a traditional way,” Bumbakare said.Among other advantages, e-billing will reduce the use of papers or books which are difficult to keep. It is also manageable and less prone to information leakages.The taxpayers meant to use e-billing machines are those who generate over Rwf20 million per year.E-billing machines will benefit both taxpayers and the revenue collector, as RRA will also easily track business transactions, including tax clearance, Bumbakare added.The cost of one electronic billing machine is $700 (Rwf450, 000) and the deadline for all businesses to have acquired them is March 31, which was extended from January.Taxpayers expressed their willingness to use the machines as it would help them easily manage their businesses but urged RRA to either re-extend the deadline or ask suppliers of the machines to reduce the cost.“The machines are important and will improve our working conditions with RRA; however, my worry is that they are very expensive and yet the deadline is so close. We may fail to beat the deadline,” said Fidele Nkundimana, a businessman in Musanze District.Bumbakare, however, insisted that the deadline should be met and advised taxpayers and suppliers to agree on installment payment for the machines.There are currently three international companies authorised to sell the machines to traders.
