ZIMRA finalising integration of TaRMS, FDMS

STAFF WRITER

The country’s tax collector, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), is finalising the long-awaited integration of the Tax and Revenue Management System (TaRMS) with the Fiscal Devices Management System (FDMS), a transformative move expected to enhance VAT administration, fast-track refund processing, and tighten compliance across the economy.

The disclosure was made at the BDO Chartered Accountants’ 2025 Mid-Term Budget Review meeting held in the capital on Tuesday  this week, where senior ZIMRA officials outlined the far-reaching benefits of the digital interface, which is now in its final implementation phase.

The integration will allow seamless data exchange between FDMS and TaRMS, enabling real-time auto-population of input tax invoices, credit and debit notes, and invoice validation.

This development will eliminate duplicated claims, block invoices not generated from fiscalised systems, and dramatically improve the speed and accuracy of VAT refund processing.

“We are finalising the integration. With this interface, ZIMRA officers can instantly verify fiscal data, which drastically reduces paperwork, improves audit efficiency, and enhances the accuracy of VAT returns,” a ZIMRA official, Ottilia Kepekepe, said.

“It’s a game-changer for both the authority and compliant taxpayers.”

Among the expected benefits is automated input tax claiming, minimising the risk of human error while giving taxpayers access to a self-service portal that streamlines day-to-day VAT operations. The system also offers built-in compliance checks that flag inconsistencies or attempts to recover VAT on non-fiscalised invoices.

“This will significantly speed up the VAT refund process and instill greater discipline in the tax environment,” Kepekepe added.

Experts say the integration marks a decisive step towards closing Zimbabwe’s VAT compliance gap and restoring credibility to a system previously bogged down by inefficiencies and abuse.

ZIMRA’s move to digitise its VAT ecosystem comes as part of broader efforts to align tax administration with global standards, enhance transparency, and secure much-needed revenue in a fiscally constrained environment.