The Tax Appeals Tribunal (TAT) is launching a sensitisation campaign to help Kampala City traders understand how to handle tax disputes with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). The three-day initiative, running from October 19 to 21 at Royal Complex Building Hotel on Nakasero Market Street, targets members of the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) and other traders facing difficulties with tax complaints. The campaign receives support from the International Development Law Organization and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the Access to Justice for Sustainable Development programme.
TAT chairperson Crystal Kabajwara said many taxpayers confuse the tribunal's role with tax administration. The tribunal exists to provide a forum where those who disagree with URA decisions can challenge them and seek redress, distinct from the revenue authority's job of assessing and collecting taxes. Kabajwara stated the campaign would clarify this distinction and explain how alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, can resolve disagreements without lengthy court proceedings.
The tribunal handled 365 disputes in the 2025/2026 financial year while receiving over 334 applications, representing a 37.5 per cent year-on-year increase in resolutions and a 61 per cent increase over four years, according to Kabajwara. Money released back into the economy grew 52 per cent year-on-year. She added that 61 per cent of cases were resolved through mediation in the 2025/2026 financial year.
Kabajwara said the tribunal wants traders to maintain proper documentation including invoices, receipts and contracts, and engage URA within legal timelines before seeking tribunal intervention if disagreements persist. The partnership with KACITA aims to equip traders with practical knowledge about their rights, obligations and procedures for handling tax disputes.