6.4. Value-Added Tax (VAT) and Sales Tax Regulations

The Finance Act 2026 makes three structural amendments to the VAT and Supplementary Duty Act 2012: First, under a new Section 4(3), possessing a 13-digit e-BIN is now a mandatory prerequisite for basic business operations, including opening a bank account, bidding on public tenders, and clearing customs. Second, VAT return filings have moved from a monthly to a quarterly frequency, reducing corporate filing friction from 12 to 4 times a year. Third, Section 20 has been substituted to bring all imported services under a 15% reverse-charge VAT net, with commercial banks designated as withholding agents to collect VAT at the source on all digital software and cross-border retainers.