Ezulwini- The Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) has set a E19.48 billion domestic revenue collection target for the 2026/27 financial year.
Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg announced the target as he officially opened the 2026 Annual Income Tax Return Filing Season under the theme “File Right, File on Time.”
Rijkenberg said the target represented resources required to finance government programmes and public services, including roads, healthcare, education, public safety, social programmes and infrastructure investment.
He said meeting the target was a shared responsibility between government, the ERS and taxpayers, with taxpayers required to accurately declare their income, file returns within prescribed deadlines and pay taxes due.
The Minister warned that underdeclared or undeclared income reduces the resources available to government to meet the country’s growing needs and can increase reliance on borrowing.
“This is neither sustainable nor desirable for the whole nation in the long term,” he said.
Meanwhile, ERS Board Chairman David Dlamini, said the filing season provided an opportunity to remind taxpayers of the role they play in supporting national development.
He said the campaign theme highlighted two fundamental principles of an effective tax system accuracy and timeliness, and stressed that tax compliance extended beyond simply meeting a legal obligation.
The Chairman said the Board remained committed to providing strategic oversight and support as the ERS worked to strengthen revenue administration, improve taxpayer services and enhance voluntary compliance.
He said an honest and efficient tax administration was important for building trust, promoting fairness and creating the resources required to finance national development.
“This year’s filing season comes at a time when domestic revenue mobilisation is more important than ever,” he said, noting that every accurate return filed and every tax obligation met contributed towards public services, infrastructure and development programmes.
The Chairman also pointed to continued investments by the ERS to strengthen compliance and improve the taxpayer experience, saying these efforts were important to maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the tax system.
The 2026 filing season introduces an expanded definition of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) for income tax filing purposes.
Previously, the filing requirement focused on individuals earning annual income of E3 million or more. The expanded category will also cover individuals whose combined assets are valued at E3 million or more, including immovable and movable property, financial assets, investments, shares, bonds and other assets.
The category will further include individuals whose minor children hold assets with a combined value of E3 million or more, as well as trustees and trust funds, excluding trustees of recognised and registered pension funds.
Rijkenberg said the broader definition was intended to strengthen fairness and transparency in the tax system and ensure that taxpayers’ economic resources and income were properly reflected in their declarations.
Different taxpayer categories have been given different filing and payment deadlines.
Resident trusts, VAT-registered businesses, non-VAT-registered businesses and presumptive taxpayers are required to file and pay any tax due by October 31, 2026.
Individuals with employment income and other sources of income, high-net-worth individuals and other special taxpayer categories are required to pay any tax due by November 30, 2026.
Both Rijkenberg and the Board Chairman urged taxpayers to prepare and file early, rather than waiting until the final days of the filing period.
Rijkenberg similarly encouraged taxpayers to use the ERS electronic filing facility and seek assistance where they were uncertain about their obligations.
He acknowledged that changes to tax systems and processes could be difficult for taxpayers to adjust to, but said the changes were ultimately intended to make tax administration easier.
As the filing season begins, the E19.48 billion target places taxpayer compliance at the centre of the country’s domestic revenue mobilisation efforts, with the government relying on the revenue authority to collect the funds needed to support its development priorities.
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