Convicted trader fined K1m for flouting Malawi tax regulations
The Lilongwe Magistrates Court has convicted Silvia Ng’ombe of Trinity Auto Parts for failing to issue and retain a fiscal receipt after selling goods worth K63,000.
the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Deputy Director Corporate Affairs, Steven Kapoloma, said Ng’ombe was arrested on February 12, 2015 during a compliance monitoring exercise conducted by the tax collecting body.
“Ng’ombe is a shop attendant at Trinity Auto Parts and on the day of her arrest she failed to issue a fiscal receipt with intent not to use Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) thereby evading Value Added Tax (VAT). The conduct is contrary to Regulation 28(2) of EFDs under VAT Act,” Kapoloma said.
Ng’ombe was sentenced to pay a fine of K1 million or 2 years imprisonment in default by the court and she has since paid the fine.
Kapoloma has further called on all consumers in the country to demand a fiscal receipt every time they make a purchase from VAT registered businesses.
“The Authority would like to emphasise that it is the duty of businesses to always comply with EFD regulations by using the EFD machines honestly and issue fiscal receipts to their customers,” said Kapoloma.
Failure to comply with EFD regulations attracts penalties and fines detailed below:
Offence | Penalties and fines |
Failure to use EFDs | A user of an EFD or any person required to use EFD, who fails to do so without approval, commits an offence and is liable to pay K500,000 or upon conviction a fine of K1 million or imprisonment for two years. |
Fraudulent use of EFDs | Any person who, with intent to defraud, uses EFDs to mislead, deceive or manipulate information sent through a system or the Commissioner General, commits an offence and shall, in addition to payment of tax which is payable, be liable to pay twice the amount involved or K500,000, whichever amount is greater, or upon conviction to imprisonment of two years. |
Tampering with EFDs and their software | Any person who, without authorization, tampers with or causes an EFD to perform improperly, commits an offence and shall be liable to pay K500,000 or upon conviction a fine of K1 million or imprisonment for two years. |
Failure to comply with any obligation as a user or supplier | Any person who violates any obligation as a user or local supplier under these regulations shall be liable to a penalty imposed by the Commissioner General of K500,000 |
Failure to demand a fiscal receipt | Any person who, after purchasing goods or services, fails to demand and retain a fiscal receipt or fails to report a refusal by a user to issue a fiscal receipt as required by these regulations, shall be liable to pay three times the tax payable. |
Failure to keep a fiscal receipt |
A person who, after purchasing goods or services, fails to issue and retain a duplicate fiscal receipt or fiscal invoice or refuses to issue a fiscal receipt or invoice upon demand as required by these regulations, commits an offence and shall be liable to pay K500,000 or upon conviction a fine of K1 million or imprisonment for two years. |
General offence | Any person who commits an offence under these regulations for which no specific penalty is provided, shall be liable to a minimum of K500,000 or upon conviction a fine of K1 million or imprisonment for two years. |
Dirty thugs, laundering money the smart way.
what with these efds eish ….kow many times do we have to pay tax? Import duty is it not tax …..efds how many know them? This is the reason why goods prices are sky rocketing coz of unforseable tax payments traders pay which consumers dont know……..
I feel the machines are so weak and can easily be manipulated. Fancy one buys katundu worthy k20,000 and the shop owner makes the machine to recognize k650 only for VAT, MRA what is this? Have been observing this when I go to buy things from the amwenye shops in limbe. My question is, how cold MRA a big government institution allow sellers to use a machine which can easily be manipulated? komanso what procedures r there to enhance the officers prove that the figure for VAT comes from a correct figure when 16.5% is applied? MRA work up, these… Read more »
Boma lidakhazikitsa machine amene aja kut mra staffs alemele ndukunena izi kuchoka pansi pa mtima chifukwa muthu sunganene kut bicoz walephela kupeleka reicpt la ndilama zokwana 63 000 kwacha mukumpatsa penoti ya one million bussines yake it imeneyo mra officials this yo time inuyo mavuto mulibe pot dziko lonse limawopa inuyo ife timangowona sinakha ndife akanda patuwe ife omagwila tchito mwa amwenyemu malipo chenje chakumowa tikawuza kut tikwezeleni amati mumawona azibale amazatenga ndilama muno wina ogwila tchito wina wolandila ndilama alimphe pakutha pamwezi bomanso kukupatsani ndilama zambilimbili pamene ife tikulilabe ndi umphawi wadzowoneni chifukwa choti inu mumadzatenga ndilama kudzadzitsa ma… Read more »
Please check at Chez Ntemba, they don’t issue receipts those guys. pay them a visit on firday, Saturday or sunday or any day. surprisingly I see a lot of MRA officers, cant we have a penalty for MRA officers who fail to enforce the law despite observing a clear contravention???
Kkkk a mra this is theft to charge 1million becaue of ur stupid receipt
misonkho tikupeleka koma services still poor. mutharika angokwerera ndege ndi shopping. basi
Please MRA, visit Morden Tiles near Cash Build in Lilongwe. They never issue a VAT receipt despite having the machine on the pay counter. They just issue a receipt from a receipt book and write the transaction in a hard cover.
Selective justice. What about the buyer who failed to demand a receipt? People don’t want to pay VAT. The traders give them options but they choose the non VAT prices. Sensitise people the importance of Taxes so that compliance can improve.
Kwa bvumbwe kuno nde sitimapasidwa zima receitzo…nde vuto ndifeyo kapena ogulitsa?