Authorized Tax Agent · Registered with TARC, Uganda Revenue Authority · Since 2012
Verified July 2026 · Plain language

Ugandan tax, translated.

The current rates, thresholds and concepts that decide what you owe — each explained the first time it's used, jargon-free. Practitioner-verified; re-checked every Finance Act.

Headline rates & thresholds (2026/27)

ItemRate / valueNotes
Corporate income tax30%On chargeable income of resident companies
VAT standard rate18%On taxable supplies
VAT registration thresholdUGX 250MAnnual turnover — effective 1 July 2026 (raised from 150M)
Presumptive regime ceilingUGX 150MSimplified small-business tax below this turnover
PAYE tax-free thresholdUGX 335,000/monthEffective 1 July 2026 (raised from 235,000)
Rental tax — individuals12% of gross rentAbove the annual threshold
Rental tax — companies30%On chargeable rental income
Interest on unpaid tax2% per monthCompounds until settled
WHT — professional fees (resident)6%15% for non-residents
WHT — dividends / interest15%10% for listed-company dividends to individuals
EFRIS non-compliance penalty2× the tax dueOr the statutory minimum, whichever is higher — per transaction (TPCA s.93)

Working with these numbers? Two free tools: the VAT supplier calculator (what unregistered suppliers really cost you) and the withholding tax calculator (every WHT category, computed).

Capital allowances (what you can deduct for assets)

Asset classRateMethod
Computers & data equipment40%Reducing balance
Plant & machinery (farming/manufacturing/mining)30%Reducing balance
General pool (vehicles, furniture, equipment)20%Reducing balance
Industrial buildings5%Straight-line on construction cost
Initial allowanceAbolished from 1 July 2023 — do not claim

Rules that changed recently (and still catch people)

  • Interest deduction cap: 30% of tax-EBITDA for group members (banks/insurers excluded). The old 1.5:1 debt-equity test no longer applies.
  • Loss carry-forward: after seven consecutive loss years, only 50% of accumulated losses carry forward (from 1 July 2023).
  • Penalty waiver window: interest & penalties on principal outstanding at 30 June 2025 are waived if the principal is paid by 30 June 2027; tax outstanding at 30 June 2016 is fully waived.
  • Supplier TIN rule: single transactions of UGX 5M+ need the supplier's TIN, or the expense is disallowed.
  • Transfer pricing: documentation required at UGX 500M+ of related-party transactions; non-production penalty UGX 50M.

Key terms, plainly

  • TIN — Taxpayer Identification Number: your identity at URA. Everything filed, paid or owed hangs off it.
  • TCC — Tax Clearance Certificate: the document URA issues to prove you're compliant. Needed for tenders, many bank facilities and contracts.
  • EFRIS — URA's electronic invoicing system. VAT-registered businesses must issue e-invoices/e-receipts through it.
  • Presumptive tax — the simplified small-business regime (turnover ≤ UGX 150M): schedule-based amounts instead of full accounts.
  • Provisional tax — estimated income tax paid in instalments during the year, trued-up at the final return.
  • Estimated assessment — URA's own figure for what you owe when you haven't filed. Usually high; always challengeable with evidence, within deadlines.
  • Objection / ADR / TAT — the dispute ladder: formal objection to URA, then Alternative Dispute Resolution, then the Tax Appeals Tribunal, then courts. Every rung has strict deadlines.
  • Agency notice — URA's power to collect your tax debt directly from third parties: your bank, your tenants, your debtors.
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A practitioner's caution: this page is general information, verified as at July 2026 against current law. Rates and rules change every Finance Act — before any filing or dispute, verify the current position or ask us to. That check is free; the wrong rate isn't.