BUJUMBURA March 21st (ABP) – The Burundian Revenue Office (OBR), organized on March 14, 2024, an exchange meeting, for administrators of Bujumbura city, on the collection of income taxes rental.
The delegate of the OBR commissioner, Mr. Stany Ngendakumana indicated that that meeting was held with the aim of transmitting to the officials of the Bujumbura city, a message intended for taxpayers who have houses or other infrastructures for rent, that the deadline for payment of the rental tax is set for March 31, 2024. That concerns the payment of rental tax revenues for the financial year 2023.
He asked those grassroots officials to relay that message to neighborhood leaders and cell leaders, so that the latter can remind anyone who rents an infrastructure to come to the OBR to do so. Mr. Ngendakumana hoped that that message, once properly transmitted, will have a positive impact on the population subject to that type of tax, so as not to be exposed to sanctions provided for by law.
In his presentation on the rental income tax module (IRL), Mr. Ruben Niyomwungere indicated that the people subject to the IRL, all receive rental income from buildings rented and benefit from the subsidy. -total or partial rental of buildings.
Those exempt from IRL are the State and public establishments of an administrative nature, rentals of buildings under an international convention ratified by Burundi subject to reciprocity, income from the rental of accommodation school and university infrastructures as well as hospitals and health centers.
Newly constructed buildings for a period of two years from the date of first rental and income from the rental of newly constructed collective housing according to the standards set by the competent authority for a period of 10 years are also exempt.
Mr. Niyomwungere mentioned that for people benefiting from the reduction, those are among others minor or adult children currently in school up to the age of 25, orphans of father and mother, the widower, the retiree and the demobilized not in public, private or elective function.
Concerning the filing of the declaration and payment of the IRL, he specified that any person receiving rental income must prepare a declaration and pay the corresponding tax no later than March 31, 2024 following the collection of rents. After that declaration deadline, the submission of that declaration will be sanctioned by a fine.
Concerning fixed fines for the absence of declaration, he specified that the average taxpayer who has not earned 100 million, pays 100,000 BIF in fines, that of average taxpayer who has received between 100 and 700 million, pays 300,000 BIF fines and large taxpayers pay the fine of 600 thousand BIF.
The penalty for late payment, he added, in the event of failure to file a declaration, an automatic imposition is applied with an increase of 75% of the tax that should be paid and a fixed fine.
In conclusion, Mr. Niyomwungere asked representatives of the grassroots administration to work closely with the tax administration, in locating and taxing new taxpayers, in order to increase IRL revenues given that the municipalities receive 60% of IRL revenues.