No matter where you live or where your online business is based — if you have customers in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), you gotta follow the Congolese VAT rules. That’s what this guide is for! This guide includes everything you need to know about digital tax laws in Democratic Republic of Congo, whether your customers live in Kinshasa or Kolwezi.
Digital Products
First, let’s confirm what you’re trying to sell in Democratic Republic of Congo. Are you selling digital products?
A digital product is any product that’s stored, delivered, and used in an electronic format. These are goods or services that the customer receives via email, by downloading them from the Internet, or through logging into a website.
You’re probably consuming and using digital products all day long, whether or not you realize it. Here are some common ones on the market today:
- E-books, images, movies, and videos, whether buying a copy from Shopify or using a service like Netflix. In tax language, these products are in a category usually called, “Audio, visual, or audio-visual products.”
- Downloadable and streaming music, whether buying an MP3 or using a service like SoundCloud or Spotify. Of course, these products also fall in the audio category.
- Cloud-based software and as-a-Service products, such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).
- Websites, site hosting services, and internet service providers.
- Online ads and affiliate marketing. Income from these services can be considered taxable under digital tax policies.
Not sure if what you sell is considered a “digital product?” Check out our explanation of what a digital product is exactly.
But some countries can have more specific definitions or exceptions. In Democratic Republic of Congo, even things like premium memberships to online dating apps is considered an electronic service.
Heads up: you might also hear of digital goods referred to as “digital services,” “e-goods”, or “e-services.” All of these terms refer to the same thing.
Democratic Republic of Congo’s VAT for digital products
VAT is the consumption tax throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo, levied on almost everything sold in the country. There are specific rules around digital products, which you must follow closely to stay tax compliant.
If you sell digital products to a customer in DRC, you must charge the VAT rate. Simple, right?
It’s simple in theory. But in practice, Democratic Republic of Congo VAT has a bit more complexity. You don’t necessarily need to add tax to every sale. It can depend on the amount of sales you make in the country, whether the sale is B2B or B2C, and other things. We’ll go into more detail about each of these throughout the rest of the guide!
Registering for Democratic Republic of Congo’s VAT
Is there a sales registration threshold?
No, the Democratic Republic of Congo does **not **have a sales registration threshold. This means that even if you make just one sale in the country, you must register your business for DRC VAT.
The registration process
So, it turns out you do need to register for tax in Democratic Republic of Congo. Don’t worry! Just follow instructions from the DRC tax authority on how to register for VAT.
Ultimately, you will receive a VAT registration number, which establishes you in the Nationality tax system as a legal business. This number tracks your business through the system: the taxes you pay, the tax credits you receive, plus the tax you charge from customers.
Do you need a local tax representative?
No, you don’t need a representative to handle your taxes in Democratic Republic of Congo. That is, you aren’t required to have one. Some tentative foreign business owners may hire a tax representative for peace of mind. Taxes can be an intimidating and confusing topic, especially in a foreign language! Makes absolute sense.
But because the DRC tax portal is available online, it’s possible for you to handle these foreign taxes on your own. It’s just up to you!
Collecting VAT in Democratic Republic of Congo
Once you’re registered for taxes, you’re expected to charge 16% VAT on all taxable sales to DRC residents and businesses.
VAT invoices in Democratic Republic of Congo
In order to comply with tax laws, you should include the following information on your invoices to customers in Democratic Republic of Congo:
- Your business’ name and address
- Your business’ VAT registration number
- Invoice date
- Invoice sequencing number
- Buyer’s name and address
- Buyer’s VAT registration number, if they have one.
- VAT (amount and rate) applied to each item
- Final amount after tax is added
- The currency used
The easiest solution for the VAT invoice would be to use a tax software that automatically generates and sends all invoices (as soon as the sale is complete), and also stores them in the cloud for you. Quaderno does just that, but we won’t go on about it here. :)
Filing VAT returns in Democratic Republic of Congo
Charging and collecting tax is only the first half of staying compliant. The second, and equally important, half is filing returns and paying whatever you might owe to the government.
In Democratic Republic of Congo, foreign businesses are expected to file tax returns every month. You have 15 days to file and pay after the end of each period. So for April, your tax return is due by May 15th.
Note: At Quaderno we love providing helpful information and best practices about taxes, but we are not certified tax advisors. For further help, or if you are ever in doubt, please consult a professional tax advisor or the tax authorities.