The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) is the tax collection agency of the Government of Botswana. The organization was founded in 2004 with the main goal of increasing the nation’s revenue collection efficacy and efficiency. Taxes, customs duties, and excise charges must all be collected by the BURS for the benefit of the government. The agency is run by a Commissioner General who is in charge of the day-to-day activities and is under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

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Purpose

The BURS was founded to streamline and enhance revenue collection in Botswana. Revenue collection was handled by numerous government agencies before the founding of the agency, which led to inefficiencies and duplication of effort. The organization was established to boost tax compliance among firms and people and to centralize the collecting procedure to increase revenue collection. The BURS was able to simplify the procedure and eliminate redundant work, leading to greater efficiency and cost savings. This was accomplished by centralizing revenue collecting. Through educating taxpayers, supporting them, and enforcing the law, the agency is also entrusted with enhancing compliance among companies and people.

Business collaboration

To make sure that tax rules and regulations are followed, the BURS works closely with all enterprises in Botswana. To assist companies to understand their responsibilities, and comply with rules, the agency offers support and education to them. To assure compliance and stop tax evasion, the organization also often examines enterprises. Small and medium-sized firms (SMEs), as well as big multinationals, are some of the companies that it works within Botswana.

Provided services

The organization provides several services to taxpayers. The basic services are discussed below:

Registration for taxes and payment

The process of registering individuals and businesses for tax purposes is known as tax registration. It also includes giving them their tax identification numbers (TINs). All individuals and businesses in Botswana must register and obtain a TIN under the BURS before they may pay any taxes. Its payment service allows taxpayers to pay a variety of government taxes, such as income, VAT, customs charges, and excise levies.

Investigations and audits

To make sure that taxpayers are following tax rules and regulations, the organization conducts audits and investigations into compliance. Audits entail a study of a taxpayer’s financial data to verify the correctness of the return submitted. Investigations into possible fraud or evasion may also be done by the BURS. Failure to abide by rules and regulations may result in penalties, fines, or even criminal prosecution.

Assessing taxes

Determining a taxpayer’s tax obligation is part of the tax assessment process. The BURS assesses tax obligations using a variety of techniques, including third-party and self-assessment. In self-assessment, taxpayers disclose their tax obligations, but in third-party assessment, it ascertains the taxpayer’s tax burden using data from other sources, such as financial institutions or employers.

Resolution of disputes

Whenever a taxpayer disagrees with a tax assessment or another decision made by the agency, the organization provides the option of dispute resolution. Taxpayers who wish to object to an assessment or any other decision made by the agency may do so in writing. Following that, a decision on the objection will be made. If the taxpayer is still unhappy with the outcomes, they have the option of addressing the IT Appeals Board.

Tax compliance

The BURS takes steps to carry out the enforcement of tax rules and regulations. This includes carrying out audits and investigations, levying fines and penalties on non-compliant taxpayers, and bringing legal action against taxpayers who commit fraud or evasion. It collaborates closely with law enforcement organizations to guarantee that rules are upheld and that taxpayers pay their taxes on time.