Tax authority the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) says it collected US$4.71 billion in net revenue during the first half of 2026, exceeding its target by more than 16% as it expands the tax base and rolls out digital systems.
ZIMRA said the collections for the six months to 30 June were 46.73% higher than the US$3.21 billion recorded during the same period last year.
In local currency, the revenue amounted to ZWG125.06 billion, against a target of ZWG104.99 billion – a surplus of 19.12%.
ZIMRA Board chair Antony Mandiwanza attributed the performance to improvements in digitalisation, trade facilitation and border controls.
“ZIMRA delivered strong H1 2026 performance, collecting USD4.71 billion – 16.14% above target and 46.73% higher than H1 2025,” Mandiwanza said.
The authority registered 37,783 new taxpayers during the period, including 2 056 Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxpayers and 955 Value Added Tax (VAT) taxpayers.
ZIMRA said digital platforms had helped broaden the tax base.
Several major revenue streams recorded significant growth.
Corporate Income Tax increased by 47.77%, while VAT on imports rose by 41.20%. Mining royalties grew by 30.25% net customs duty by 26.93% and net VAT on local sales by 22.03%.
The authority also reported processing 258,631 bills of entry, with an assessment rate of 98.93%.
Its enforcement operations included 73 085 scans of high-risk cargo and the seizure of 14 881 high-risk transit trucks.
ZIMRA said its digital transformation programme was nearing completion, with the TaRMS project 98% complete.
The Fiscalisation Data Management System (FDM) was reported to be 99% complete while integration between the Fiscalisation Data Management System (FDMS) and TaRMS had reached 100%.
The authority said the systems were expected to improve tax administration, compliance and service delivery.
For the second half of 2026, ZIMRA said it would focus on maintaining revenue growth, managing emerging risks and improving services to taxpayers.
It has projected full-year revenue of US$5.65 billion.
However, the authority warned that global trade uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, fluctuations in commodity prices and domestic liquidity constraints could affect collections.
ZIMRA also identified compliance pressures as a key domestic risk as it seeks to sustain revenue growth during the remainder of the year.
