LRA wants tax for foreign registered motor vehicles
MASERU — The Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA) wants all owners of foreign-registered motor vehicles to start paying taxes.
LRA commissioner of customs excise, Thabo Moleko, told a press conference on Tuesday that an increasing number of foreign-registered vehicles were crowding the country’s roads.
Most of them were not paying the appropriate taxes such as import duty and value added tax (VAT) and it is high time they start doing so.
VAT is charged at 14 percent.
“We are seeing more cars from Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa on our roads.“Most of these cars have not paid their taxes like VAT and duties in the case of Mozambique and other countries that are not members of the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu),” Moleko said.
He said LRA customs officers were already capturing information so that such vehicles can start paying taxes.
Only cars whose owners come to stay in Lesotho permanently will not pay taxes, he added. “The information captured by the Customs Department will reveal if the owner is just visiting or if they are here to stay.
“If they come to stay then they will be expected to pay taxes on the vehicles like it is done with other imported goods.”
Owners are expected to produce invoices for their vehicles so that accurate calculations are made on the amounts of tax to be paid.
“Car dealers that import cars should produce tax invoices while individuals should pay their taxes at the point of entry,” Moleko said.
He appealed to owners of foreign-registered vehicles who are already in the country to come forward and pay due taxes.
“It is everybody’s responsibility to pay taxes for their cars. We know that not all vehicle owners are complying with the law, resulting in the Authority failing to collect enough from taxes.”
Moleko said senior government officials who own foreign-registered vehicles should lead by example by paying tax.
“We will go on a hunt for foreign-registered vehicle owners who are dodging paying taxes,” he added.
Comment by Kakapa on 2 February 2012:
Ha se joale le bua ka taba ena feela le sa etse letho
Comment by Oa Matsieng on 2 February 2012:
Sena se tlameha ho etsahala hore ebe Basotho ha ba ngolise thepa ea bona hae ha Morema Moshoeshoe haholo likoloi.
1.LRA e sokolisa batho haba fihla kamoo. Basebetsi bao ba kamoo ba sheba koloi ka mahlo ebe bau joetsa hore o patale khafa ea bokae. ha ba tsotelle hore na koloi o e rekile ka bokae.
2.LRA ea sokolisa, ha motho a fihla kamoo, ba mo joetsa hore tax invoice e ngotsoe hampe u khutle e ilo lokisoa. Bothata ke hore hau rekile koloi, mohlala SA,u beheloa nako hore e be le cleared. joale hee rona ba bang rea teneha ke isoa holimo le tlase ebe re tlohela likoloi li sa fetola linomoro. LRA eke ere rute hore li-invoice li ngoloe joang hoba bare khutlisa ka mabaka a senang thuso. ke e mong ae sokulisitsoeng ke LRA, ba nthusa ho setse letsatsi pele lipampiri tsaka li felloa ke nako. Ke khutlela SA ke lo ngolisa koloi eaka teng. haho motho ea tla ntsha ka hara eona. LRA ha e ke e rupele basebetsi ba eona pele. likoloi tsena re li rekile ha rea li kolota.
ke hona li tla kena li le ngata ha LRA e ntse e tsoela pele ka tsela ena.
Comment by Sebaka on 2 February 2012:
LRA e sheba ka mahlo feela ebe ba u joetsa price e tauoeng. Ha ba tsotelle le bopaki boo o bo t’soereng hore naa u e rekile ka bokae. ‘Na kea hana! The question is why would a person register a car in SA, Botswana or Mozambique? Don’t tell me about tax evasion! There is a problem in the way LRA deals with car taxes. Period!!!!!
Comment by katiba on 2 February 2012:
you buy M80000.00 car LRA demands M79000.00 simply because we are dumb enough to take it to evaluation straight from carwash!
ha ehlaha e benya ba nahana hore ke koloi ea selemo!
Comment by Monna' Mosotho on 3 February 2012:
LRA is meant to make thise who work with reach not those who bring in tax.when is it good to evaluate ka mahlo and ignore all documents reflecting actual amount for products? i wish the do that to me when i buy a car, believe motho u tla robala ha mae! i mean it.
Comment by Oa lapeng on 7 February 2012:
ho oa makatsa hobane re bona ka lona batho ba sebetsang LRA hore naha ena e na le chelete…hau lona ha le khore na….!!!!!!!
Comment by thato on 9 March 2012:
lona le patala tax kantle nah?
haeso hore le tsoile pelo ke chelete
Comment by Motaung oa ha Mokhele on 22 March 2012:
LRA has to review this aspect throughly,for example in SA you happen to buy a car very cheap but they dont consider your invoice for substantiation, so please offer a reasonable service to us. You have a right to use Market Values if we fail to provide you with an invoice. Please be Professional and provide us with clear steps to take for clearancewithout any bias.Give us facts!!!!