Online Reporter
Tapiwanashe Mangwiro
Private sector players and financial experts have hailed the positive impact of Zimbabwe’s new tax administration regime, the Tax and Revenue Management System (TaRMS), noting that it has greatly improved accessibility for taxpayers and boosted compliance, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
At the 9th Annual Tax Conference in Victoria Falls, financial experts and Government officials highlighted how TaRMS has not only broadened the tax-paying population but also simplified processes for new and existing businesses.
This reinforces Zimbabwe’s shift towards a digital economy.
“TaRMS has transformed the taxpayer journey,” said Patricia Chikosa, chief executive of FiscalEase Institute and private sector representative. “Previously, onboarding was manual, cumbersome and time-consuming, especially for micro and small enterprises.
“Now, firms can register with minimal fuss, submit returns online and track their compliance in real-time.”
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) Commissioner for Domestic Taxes, Mr Misheck Govha, reinforced this sentiment.
“We are proud of TaRMS’s successful deployment.
“Since its rollout in 2023, under the National Development Strategy 1, we have seen regional interest, delegations from Uganda, Eswatini, Botswana and even Malta are evaluating our framework.
“Recently, Rwanda visited; we are now regarded as a model to emulate,” affirmed Mr Govha.
Small-business operator and entrepreneur Mr Brian Zvarava also praised the increased tax registration.
“Compliance used to be intimidating, forms, queues, delays. TaRMS removed most of that. I registered my bakery within days online and began filing digitally.
“I am now fully compliant, which gives me confidence and access to future opportunities,” he said.
Participants at the Victoria Falls conference were also told that TaRMS has improved integration across Government bodies, linking with the Civil Registry, Company Registrar, Deeds Office among others.
This has facilitated secure data flows and reinforced Zimbabwe’s digital transition aligned to the 2030 Vision target of achieving upper-middle-income status.
Private-sector representatives spoke glowingly about the benefits of a streamlined tax filing process.
“There are two routes to boosting revenue: hike rates or drive compliance.
“TaRMS chose the latter and that’s how informal operators are now formal, contributing to the treasury,” noted economist Dr Samukeliso Ncube of the Business Reform Forum.
She added that the system’s transparency builds trust, making tax obligations predictable rather than punitive.
The three-day forum in Victoria Falls also included sessions on capacity building, policy design, tax compliance, new tax law implementation and procedural efficiency.
Attendees applauded TaRMS for making a tangible difference at the business operational level.
While Zimbabwe’s pioneering tax reforms are a major leap forward, the country’s overall ease of doing business ranking still trails global peers.
Still, experts at the conference argued that TaRMS addresses a key pillar, “Paying Taxes,” where Zimbabwe ranked 146th in the 2020 report.
“With more firms joining, the national tax bracket and improved compliance. This area stands to see continued improvement, which could lift the nation’s overall ranking in future business climate indices”.
Conference participants urged broader reforms, linking TaRMS with the planned One-Stop-Shop for import/export documentation, simplifying building permit processes and advancing digital identity verification to eliminate manual bottlenecks.
