Are Digital and Traditional Financial Services Taxed the Same? A Comprehensive Assessment of Tax Policies in Nine African Countries

Abstract

Several African countries have introduced taxes on digital financial services (DFS) during the past decade. Given the size and rapid growth of the telecom and DFS sector, DFS taxation is considered an opportunity to broaden the government’s revenue base. These recent developments need to be considered alongside the framework for taxation of traditional financial services (TFS) delivered by banks and other formal financial institutions – such as credit unions, insurance companies and microfinance institutions. The working paper analyses key legislative, tax and regulatory policy instruments, comparing the tax framework in nine countries in Africa: Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Summary of Working Paper 162 by Hannelore Niesten.