Also known as: BURS
Botswana's tax and revenue administration authority implementing major tax reforms and combating illicit fuel trade.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Weekend Post
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) has outperformed its national revenue target while dismissing any direct connection between its financial results and wage negotiations. …
BURS Exceeds Revenue Target, Refutes Claims of Wage LinkageThe Botswana Unified Revenue Service and the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority are collaborating to address illicit fuel trading and revenue leakages estimated at billions of pula by tightening controls across the petroleum supply chain.
24 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service and the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority are collaborating to address illicit fuel trading and revenue leakages estimated at billions of pula by tightening controls across the petroleum supply chain.
24 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
Botswana introduced new tax administration, VAT, and income tax legislation on 1 July 2026, aimed at modernising the tax framework and broadening the tax base amid fiscal pressures and weaker diamond revenues. The top marginal income tax rate for taxable income exceeding P400,000 per year rises to 27.5%, up from 25%.
24 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
Botswana's Unified Revenue Service and Energy Regulatory Authority have signed a memorandum of understanding to address illegal fuel imports and border control gaps that have cost the country P4 billion in losses. The agreement aims to align revenue collection with regulatory oversight to protect national revenue, consumers, and energy security.
24 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
BURS and BERA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to step up efforts against illicit fuel trade. Authorities have found that undeclared fuel is regularly smuggled into the country, evading quality checks and taxes, which risks motorist safety, reduces government revenue, and disadvantages legitimate fuel companies.
20 August 2026 · Mmegi →
The Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority and the Botswana Unified Revenue Service have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in fighting illicit fuel trade, revenue leakage, and unsafe petroleum product entry into Botswana. The partnership aims to create a formal framework for coordinated enforcement, information sharing, and improved technological systems to identify risks and protect public revenue and energy security.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
A Financial Intelligence Agency report on money laundering and financing risks within development institutions found that corruption accounted for P174.68 million, or roughly 87 percent, of identified criminal proceeds from offenses reported since 2021 at CEDA and BDC.
17 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service is using continental tax expertise to extend VAT to remote services, aiming to collect more than P400 million in additional VAT revenue from the expanding remote-services economy as Botswana seeks new public revenue beyond diamonds.
15 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
An IMF team that visited between October 27 and November 7 found that the country's VAT gap—the difference between optimal and actual revenue collection—trended upward from 2017 to 2024, with key revenues running into millions of pula going uncollected due to non-compliance.
10 August 2026 · Mmegi →
Business Botswana has urged BURS to adopt a practical and collaborative approach to implementing new tax laws, emphasizing that timing, flexibility, and stakeholder support are critical as enterprises navigate current economic pressures. The Acting Commissioner for Domestic Taxes said the reforms aim to build a tax system that supports enterprises, encourages investment, rewards compliance, and creates certainty.
30 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Botswana has implemented a new Income Tax Act, 2026, that overhauls payroll and employment income compliance rules. Employers must align their payroll systems, benefits, reimbursements, and termination payments with the updated tax rules set by the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS).
27 July 2026 · Weekend Post →
Motshidisi Mposa, a 26-year-old artist from Marapong now based in Palapye, has built a brand centred around expressive artwork, crocheting and portraiture. Starting as a young drawer at primary school and later painting from his early teens, Mposa now creates portraits for homes, lodges, hotels and corporate offices, and recently sold major works to the Botswana Unifi.
23 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Botswana will introduce Value Added Tax on private healthcare services starting August 1, 2026, as part of wider tax reforms aimed at expanding the tax base and increasing government revenue. The Botswana Doctors Union, Botswana Dental Association, and Medical Practitioners Group of Botswana have jointly opposed the measure, warning it could reduce healthcare affordability and delay patient treatment.
22 July 2026 · Weekend Post →
Botswana's tax agency announced a new 27.5% personal income tax for those earning above P400,001 annually, replacing the previous 25% maximum rate. The change is part of broader tax reforms aimed at expanding the tax base and improving compliance.
14 July 2026 · Mmegi →
Officials announced that private medical practitioners and deputy sheriffs will need to register for VAT as government modernises tax administration and boosts domestic revenue collection. Private healthcare providers previously exempt from VAT since 2023 will begin charging VAT from 1 August 2026, after a July adjustment period.
14 July 2026 · Mmegi →
Botswana Unified Revenue Service Commissioner General Phodiso Valashia has assured taxpayers that recently implemented tax reforms are designed to establish a modern, fair, and transparent revenue system to sustain long-term economic growth, describing them as the most significant overhaul of Botswana's tax system in recent memory.
13 July 2026 · Weekend Post →
Botswana's tax reforms are projected to add P2.47 billion in annual government revenue, with the heaviest burden falling on businesses, high-income earners, and foreign digital service providers.
13 July 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service has announced major changes to the country's tax framework through re-enactment and amendment of key legislation, aimed at modernising tax administration, widening the tax base and improving tax collection.
12 July 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service has implemented a raft of new tax laws from July 1 aimed at tightening compliance, broadening the tax base and modernising revenue administration, marking the country's biggest tax system overhaul in decades.
7 July 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
A retiring government communications official bids farewell to the media fraternity, acknowledging 10 years as a journalist at the Department of Information and Broadcasting and 25 years in public relations and communications across multiple institutions, thanking journalists for holding institutions accountable.
29 June 2026 · Mmegi →
The Financial Intelligence Agency received and analysed 850 suspicious transaction reports linked to fraud, tax crimes, corruption, drug-related offences and illegal deposit-taking, and disseminated 102 financial intelligence reports to authorities including the Botswana Police Service and DCEC for investigation.
29 June 2026 · Mmegi →
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service will levy Value Added Tax on remote digital services—including streaming, online advertising, and cloud computing—from June 1, expecting to collect P450 million annually. The tax aims to broaden the national tax base and level the playing field between local businesses and foreign digital providers.
29 May 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service exceeded its revenue target of P59.824 billion by roughly P507 million, collecting approximately P60.124 billion, while dismissing claims that its financial performance directly influences wage negotiations. The agency attributed the achievement to strengthened compliance measures, improved enforcement, and enhanced data analytics, and said wage outcomes are determined through structured negotiation processes rather than being tied to revenue results.
5 May 2026 · Weekend Post →