Claiming Your Input Tax : A Guide to ZIMRA’s Invoice Management System

Simplifying the New Digital Tax Frontier: A Guide to ZIMRA’s Invoice Management System

The digital transformation of Zimbabwe’s tax landscape has reached a significant milestone with the integration of the Tax and Revenue Management System (TaRMS) and the Fiscal Data Management System (FDMS). While these technical acronyms might sound intimidating to the average business owner, the goal is simple: to make tax compliance transparent, digital, and efficient.

One of the most critical updates for businesses is the new Invoice Management Module. This system changes how registered operators claim their Input Tax (VAT paid on business purchases) and how diplomatic missions claim refunds. This article breaks down the technical presentation into a simple, step-by-step guide for the everyday taxpayer.

Section 1: The Core Mission—Claiming Your Input Tax

In the past, claiming Input Tax often involved mountains of paperwork and physical record-keeping. With the new system, the process is moved entirely to the Self-Service Portal (SSP).

Step 1: Accessing the Portal

To begin, you must log on to the TaRMS portal. Once you are in, the left-hand navigation bar is your compass. You need to locate and click on Invoice Management, then select Invoices.

Step 2: Hunting for Invoices

The system doesn’t just show everything at once—you have to tell it what you are looking for. You are required to enter “mandatory search parameters,” which are simply the Tax Year and the Tax Period (the specific month or quarter you are filing for).

Once you hit search, the system acts like a digital filing cabinet. It will display every purchase invoice, debit note, and credit note linked to your account that is currently available for an input tax claim.

Section 2: Managing Individual Invoices

Once your invoices appear, you have the power to “apportion” or adjust your claims. This is vital if only a portion of a purchase was used for business purposes.

• Editing the Claim: You can manually change the figure in the column labeled “Input Tax Claimed” if you aren’t claiming the full amount.

• Selecting Invoices: To claim an invoice, you simply click the checkbox on the far right.

   

• Deciding What is “Claimable”: If an invoice shouldn’t be claimed at all (perhaps it was a personal expense), you must select “No” under the Claimable column.

• Providing a Reason: If you select “No,” the system requires accountability. You must click a dropdown menu to select a Reason for not claiming that specific tax.

   

• Saving Progress: Always remember to click Save before moving on.

   

Section 3: The “Big Data” Shortcut—Uploading Claims

For larger businesses that handle thousands of invoices a month, clicking individual boxes is impractical. ZIMRA has introduced the “Upload Claim” function to handle “big data”.

The process for high-volume taxpayers is a bit more structured:

1. Open the Tool: Click on the Upload Claims button.

    

2. Download the Template: Enter your Tax Year and Period, then click Download Invoices. The system generates a pre-filled list of all claimable invoices.

    

3. The Golden Rule: When you open this file, you can remove invoices you don’t want to claim, but you must not delete or add columns to the template. If you change the structure of the file, the system will reject it.

4. The Upload: Once your list is edited and saved, click Upload Claims, select your file, and hit Submit. The system then automatically saves these records into TaRMS.

    

Section 4: The Final Submission

Claiming the invoices in the Invoice Management Module is only half the battle. To actually get your tax credit, you must navigate to Tax Return Management to submit your VAT return.

The system is designed to be “smart.” The total input tax you claimed in the previous steps will automatically appear in three specific fields on your return:

• Domestic Goods and/or Services Purchased.

• Credit Notes Issued.

• Debit Notes Received.

   

Section 5: Specialized Paths—Diplomatic Missions and Development Partners

International organizations and diplomatic missions have a slightly different pathway but follow the same digital logic. Instead of filing a standard VAT return, they focus on Refund Applications.

For these entities, the search parameter is the Period of Claim. After they have selected and saved their invoices, the total refund amount is automatically calculated. When they go to submit their refund application, the total amount (in either USD or ZWG) will appear automatically, reducing the risk of manual calculation errors.

Summary Table: The Digital Flow at a Glance

Conclusion

The integration of TaRMS and FDMS represents a shift toward a data-driven tax environment. By automating the “discovery” of invoices, ZIMRA is making it harder to miss out on legitimate claims while also ensuring that only valid, system-recognized invoices are used to reduce tax liability.

For the taxpayer, the message is clear: the days of manual spreadsheets are ending. Success in this new era requires familiarizing yourself with the Self-Service Portal and ensuring your internal records match what the system sees. By following these simple steps, you can ensure your business remains compliant while maximizing your legitimate tax claims.