Tax compliance is a civic duty

On Saturday, Rwanda marked for the 13th time the Taxpayer’s Day during which the best tax compliant organisations and individuals were recognised. About 25 large, small and medium taxpayers were awarded for their contribution to national development.This ceremony is a significant reminder about the role of taxes in national development. The awards are a clear message to everyone that meeting our tax obligations as individuals and organisations is a noble contribution to the country’s growth.Taxes are the foundation upon which a strong country can be built both socially and economically. It’s a collective responsibility of every Rwandan to put a brick on this foundation and growth journey by being tax compliant. The government has over the years put to good use revenue collected from our taxes. This largely explains the country’s remarkable development strides, which has put Rwanda among the fastest growing nations the world over.However, despite this achievement, there are several cases of tax evasion which are going on undetected. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that tax evasion is stumped out of the country. Tax evaders are enemies of development and we should not allow them to thrive at the expense of our collective development as a people.We should act as whistleblowers in case of suspected cases of tax evasion. Without necessarily increasing the tax burden, Rwanda Revenue Authority has strongly campaigned against tax evasion and avoidance practices. This drive, geared at encouraging compliance, has significantly paid off, as reflected in the growing figures in tax collection.Rwanda’s total revenue collection has increased more than five times over the last decade.As the tax body continues to conduct awareness campaigns to educate the public, especially small-and-medium enterprises, on the importance of timely payment of taxes, let us collectively join the campaign to fight tax evasion.

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Tax compliance is a civic duty