Pay ZIMRA but Skip the Return? Your Tax Won’t Count

Story By Staff Reporter

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has reminded taxpayers to file their October returns by 5 November 2026. Payments follow five days later, on 10 November 2026. The authority issued the reminder in Public Notice 61 of 2026, published on 27 October 2026.

Which taxes are due

The notice covers returns for the month ending 31 October 2026. ZIMRA issued it under Statutory Instrument 81 of 2025. The following taxes share the same deadlines:

• Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
• Withholding Taxes
• Mining Royalties
• Value Chain Withholding Tax
• Presumptive Tax
• Gaming Operators’ Tax
• Fast Foods Tax
• Plastic Carrier Bag Tax
• Levy on Specified Minerals
• Tobacco Levy
• Presumptive Tax on Rental Income

How to file the returns

Taxpayers must file all returns online through the ZIMRA Self-Service Portal at mytaxselfservice.zimra.co.zw. This rule now includes Gaming Operators’ Tax and Presumptive Tax on Rental Income returns. Taxpayers previously submitted these two returns manually.

Payments still go through the Single Account System.

Special rules for PAYE and mining royalties

Employers must submit the long PAYE return on the TaRMS platform. ZIMRA set this requirement in Public Notice 05 of 2025, which it issued on 3 February 2025. The authority has also published a guide with the menu path for uploading the long return.

Mining royalties follow a different rule. Miners can pay them in cash or in kind. In both cases, they must declare the royalties on the Withholding Taxes Return.

How to pay ZIMRA

Taxpayers can pay through cash deposits or bank transfers from their linked bank accounts. The bank validates each payment before it posts the transaction. It uses the Taxpayer Identity Number (TIN) for this check, so taxpayers must enter their TIN correctly every time.

ZIMRA also gave the following guidance:

• Bank forms for TaRMS payments have mandatory fields, including the taxpayer’s name and TIN.
• Taxpayers do not need to state which tax they are paying. The bank only needs the TIN and the taxpayer’s name.
• A payment will not reach the taxpayer’s ledger without a matching tax return.

Why the return matters as much as the payment

ZIMRA stressed that money in its bank account does not count until the taxpayer files a return. Consequently, taxpayers should submit the return immediately after paying. They can also file the return first and pay afterwards.

Without a return, the system does not record the tax obligation correctly. This gap can block the automatic issuing of a tax clearance certificate, which many businesses need for tenders and licences.

Outstanding returns and penalties

ZIMRA urged taxpayers with outstanding returns to submit them. It also told those with overdue balances to pay without further delay to avoid legal action.

The authority ended its notice with a firm warning. Taxpayers must submit their returns and pay in full on or before the due dates. Otherwise, they face penalties, prosecution, or both.

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