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The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) on Sunday extended by a further three months to the end of September this year, the amnesty it granted companies and individuals that had evaded paying tax. The reprieve, which was introduced in October last year to give errant tax payers a chance to put their houses in order, initially expired at the end of March this year.

Zimra extended the deadline from March this year following a poor response by offenders to the earlier grace period.

The amnesty covered any non-compliance that occurred in the period from February 2009 to September, 2014.

“Zimra advises valued clients that Government has extended the period within which applications for tax amnesty may be accepted by a further 3 months from 1 July, 2015 to 30 September 2015.

“This means Zimra will continue accepting applications for tax amnesty up to 30 September 2015,” it said in a statement.

The amnesty does not cover issues that were already under investigation for tax offences.

Zimra said the payment period for the tax obligations remained unchanged and expires on December 31 this year.

To encourage compliance, the tax collector said a five percent discount was being offered for those who made early payments.

At the end of February this year, Zimra expressed disappointment after it had received 1 471 amnesty applications.

As the major source of revenue for the Government, Zimra is increasingly facing difficulties mobilising resources in the face of a shrinking formal sector and growing informal sector with errant tax payers owe it over $1 billion. — New Ziana.