By David Mwanje
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has taken a major step in tax modernization under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner for Tax Education, Myra Iris Ochwo. Her team has successfully launched a web-based system for filing Local Excise Duty (LED) returns, replacing the old Excel-based process that had troubled taxpayers for more than ten years.
Introduced in November 2024, the new system simplifies how businesses file returns and pay excise duties. Previously, taxpayers faced errors, complex templates, and time-consuming manual entries. Companies with multiple products struggled with version conflicts and data mismatches, especially after the introduction of the Digital Tracking Solution (DTS), which required product registration on separate platforms.
Ochwo’s team addressed these challenges by creating an integrated web platform that connects all excise functions. Taxpayers now update their Tax Identification Number (TIN) profiles with product details and business locations, after which pre-filled returns are generated automatically from DTS data. The system features real-time validations, online payment options, and an easy-to-use interface. DTS approvals are now synchronized, allowing users to manage product stamps directly from the same platform.
URA reports that the transition has been smooth and effective. After extending the initial compliance deadline to December 15, 2024, most businesses adjusted to the new system, leading to better compliance and higher collections. By 2025, excise revenue had grown sharply, helping URA achieve record performance for the 2024/25 financial year and move closer to its Shs 36.7 trillion revenue target for 2025/26.
Commissioner General John Rujoki Musinguzi said the reform has strengthened oversight and improved transparency. “URA has enhanced monitoring, reduced audit risks, and built greater trust with taxpayers,” he noted.
The excise reform forms part of URA’s broader digital transformation. In August 2025, the authority expanded the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) to 12 new sectors, including small and medium traders. URA also intensified enforcement through the Digital Tracking Solution, destroying over 100 tons of unstamped goods earlier in the year. Regional sensitization drives across Gulu, Mbale, and Moroto have equipped traders with skills to verify goods using the KAKASA mobile app. “Ochwo’s explanations made everything clear. Now we can easily confirm if products are genuine,” said trader Mwetwale Mpera Christopher.
For taxpayers, the benefits are immediate pre-filled forms reduce filing time, automatic validation prevents errors, and compliance costs are lower. For URA, the system delivers accurate records, smoother audits, and better revenue tracking. Ochwo said the reform goes beyond technology. “This change gives taxpayers a simpler and more transparent experience that encourages voluntary compliance and long-term business growth,” she said.
While decentralizing stamp distribution remains a minor challenge, URA says progress toward full automation continues. As Uganda deepens its tax digitalization agenda, Ochwo’s leadership stands out as a turning point closing revenue gaps, curbing smuggling, and giving businesses the confidence to operate within a fair and transparent system.
