The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has urged members of the diaspora to take advantage of the Voluntary Disclosure Programme (VDP) and declare their worldwide income to avoid the risk of double taxation.
The call was made by Agnes Nabwire Asobola, the Acting Commissioner for Tax Investigations at URA, during the opening of the second Uganda Diaspora Convention 2025 held at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Tuesday 12/December/2025 under the theme “The Role of the Diaspora in the Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Strategy.”
Asobola revealed that Uganda now automatically exchanges tax information with 125 countries worldwide, significantly enhancing URA’s capacity to track taxpayers’ global income.
“URA introduced the Voluntary Disclosure Programme in 2023 as part of a global initiative. It allows Ugandan tax residents earning income abroad to voluntarily declare that income in their tax returns. Since September 2025, we have been receiving information automatically, which we use to assess taxpayers’ compliance,” she said.
She explained that the programme enables URA to confirm with foreign jurisdictions whether taxes have already been paid, allowing eligible taxpayers to benefit from tax treaty credits and avoid being taxed twice on the same income.
Meanwhile, Minister for Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa commended the diaspora community for its contribution to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
Vincent Bagiire, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and host of the convention, called on Ugandans abroad to strengthen collaboration with government to support national development efforts.
