Zimbabwe’s business community has reacted sharply to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s announcement that Tax Clearance Certificates (ITF263) for the 2026 tax period will now be issued monthly, a move many say will deepen administrative burdens and push more enterprises into informality.

The public notice, issued under Public Notice 69 of 2025, states that tax clearance certificates will be automatically issued to compliant taxpayers from December 27, 2025, and will only remain valid for one month. 

To qualify, taxpayers must be fully compliant with return submissions, tax payments and fiscalisation requirements under the Fiscalisation Data Management System.

However, the announcement has sparked a wave of criticism on X, with business owners, consultants and informal traders warning that the policy risks undermining ease of doing business.

Commenting on the announcement, entrepreneur Reggie Manditereza said the policy showed a disconnect between policymakers and the realities of running a business.

“I saw the below notification from ZIMRA. It’s clear that whoever proposed monthly tax clearances has no experience in industry. Requiring us to collect, verify, and file hundreds of clearances every month for every single supplier being paid, is an enormous administrative burden….in fact, it is a full-time job on its own. Instead of improving the ease of doing business, this adds another layer of unnecessary bureaucracy,” Manditereza said.

He added that the move contradicts government messaging on improving the business environment.

“I suppose this is what they mean by ‘We are here to serve’. This is sad,” he said.

Small and medium enterprises, already grappling with rising operating costs, appear particularly concerned. Engineer and consultant Ingenieur (@mugadhuwi) highlighted the cost implications for smaller businesses.

“For SME this will be a daunting task. We used to have a tax consultant coming every Quarter and a Bookkeeper every fortnight. Now this will increase costs of administrative issues,” he said.

Others questioned whether the monthly clearance requirement would drive more businesses underground. Bongani (@BonganiNguks) warned that the policy could discourage formalisation altogether.

“Everyday we are getting motivated to be informal/close down all businesses. 2026 im thinking of opening a church, atleast there are few requirements to operate that industry,” he wrote.

Some users linked the move to broader governance and accountability concerns. Madzibaba (@bantuafrican…) accused authorities of resorting to aggressive taxation due to fiscal mismanagement.

“These guys are looting state coffers daily buying car gifts hiding under their proxies. Now they have dug a huge hole at treasury and figures not balancing. Only option left is crazy taxing regime,” he said.

Others were more direct in stating their intentions to exit the formal tax system. IamCryptic (@herodiuss) commented simply:

“We will operate informally.”

Similarly, Kazishe (@khaphela) said the policy would have long-term consequences for the economy.

“This condemns us to informal business. Thanks to the powers that be,” he said.

There were also concerns about the practicality of enforcing the new system, particularly among micro-businesses. Sekuru (@Mukoma_C) pointed to challenges around fiscalisation.

“Pa FDMS pane nyaya apo tuckshop yangu yepa mbare will not comply 💀,” he wrote.

Some users questioned whether ZIMRA has the capacity to manage monthly clearances at scale. Sekuru (@Mukoma_C), in another comment, said:

“How many employees does Zimra even have? We outnumber them by far, they don’t even have guns. Tofanira kungovavikira pa head office @.”

Others called for wider consultation before implementing such changes. A post circulating on X stated: “Unilateral changes not the way to go. Best is to go to BMOs and suggest changes discuss then put out changes.”

Responding to ZIMRA, DonBilliato (@ReidLyton) echoed this sentiment:

“Making compliance a chore. Zve monthly clearance ndochii ichocho.”

Despite the backlash, some users argued that the new system may curb abuse of nil returns. Mturikwa (@I_Am_Sheu) commented: “Curbing those nil return merchants 😂😂😂.”

ZIMRA has not yet publicly responded to the concerns raised on social media. In its notice, the tax authority warned that failure to comply with return submissions and payments on or before due dates would result in penalties, prosecution and suspension of tax clearance.

As debate continues, analysts say the success of the policy may ultimately depend on whether ZIMRA balances enforcement with meaningful engagement, particularly with SMEs that form the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy.