(Business in Cameroon) - In Cameroon, taxpayers who provide a fake email address during their online tax registration process will now be sanctioned. The Minister of Finance revealed yesterday that such an offense will cost its author up to CFA5 million.

The fine is intended to “discourage those who want to defraud the tax authorities,” the minister said. Indeed, providing a valid email address for online registration is a requirement of the 2022 Finance Law; meaning that possessing an email address is now a condition for registration, and any change must be communicated to the administration within the following 15 working days. Changes affecting operations (change of manager, direct or indirect transfer of shares, cessation, change of name, change of capital structure or ownership ...) must also follow the rule.

The Finance Minister invites the tax IT division to make the success of the online registration procedure conditional on the provision of a valid email address. As part of its tax strategy, the Cameroonian government has introduced in its 2020 Finance Law the obligation for all to provide a unique identification number assigned by the Directorate General of Taxes. This ID number should first be presented before benefiting from services, including opening an account with credit and microfinance institutions; taking out any type of insurance contract; signing contracts for connection or subscription to water or electricity networks; land registration, and approval for a regulated profession (notary, lawyer, bailiff...).

S.A.