The Zambia Revenue Authority – ZRA has so far collected K3.1 million from the assessed K13.6 million (about US$1 million) in principal taxes for the trucks and earth moving machinery that were dubiously imported into the country through the misapplication of the Value Added Tax (VAT) deferment Scheme.
The authority has since started impounding heavy duty vehicles and has so far published about 1,000 trucks in the press of which 430 have responded hence the decision to start impounding the trucks that had misapplied the VAT deferment scheme.
ZRA Corporate Communications Manager Topsy Sikalinda has told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT that the operation to impound these vehicles began on Tuesday 13th, August 2019. The Authority has therefore called on the owners of the vehicles to report at the Inspectorate and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit offices immediately to avoid being inconvenienced.
Sikalinda said all businesses that acquired the heavy duty trucks and earth moving machinery but did not pay appropriate taxes are urged to comply with this call. He further stated that smuggling of goods through false declarations, transit fraud, misclassifications, under-declarations, and under-valuations is a serious offence and offenders will be dealt with in accordance with the Law.
The Authority has again urged all citizens to pay taxes directly to the Zambia Revenue Authority to avoid being swindled by smugglers pretending to be clearing agents and giving false declarations that they have remitted the due taxes when in fact not.
