Parliament passes 2026 tax bills, including 30% levy on second-hand clothes and VAT threshold rise

Parliament, presided over by Speaker Anita Among, passed the Value Added Tax, Excise Duty, External Trade, Tax Procedures Code and Stamp Duty amendment bills for 2026, according to The Independent. The measures raise the VAT registration threshold from Shs150 million to Shs300 million, introduce a 30 percent environmental levy on imported second-hand clothes, raise excise duty on cement, sugar and other goods, and grant an amnesty on tax arrears owed as of 30 June 2016. Minority reports, including one by Brenda Nabukenya (NUP) calling the clothing levy punitive for low-income Ugandans, were rejected or overruled.