Zimbabwe implements gambling taxes through digital TaRMS platform
TaRMS streamlines compliance as Zimbabwe’s 2026 gambling taxes take effect, reducing administrative friction for operators and punters.
Zimbabwe.- Zimbabwe’s 2026 gambling taxes are now fully processed through the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s (ZIMRA) digital Tax and Revenue Management System (TaRMS), making the platform the central hub for filing, reconciliation and online payment for both operators and punters.
As of January 1, 2026, the new fiscal measures introduced significant changes to Zimbabwe’s betting sector. Bookmakers are required to pay a 20 per cent tax on gross gaming revenue, while punters’ winnings are subject to a 25 per cent withholding tax, deducted at the point of payout and remitted to ZIMRA. Operators must now submit all returns and payments through TaRMS, reinforcing its role as the operational backbone for gambling tax compliance.
ZIMRA said: “TaRMS will be the new system for automating Domestic Taxes processes, replacing the current system (SAP TRM). This is part of the organisation’s focus on simplifying business processes for the convenience of taxpayers.”
TaRMS modernises tax
TaRMS was introduced to modernise Zimbabwe’s tax administration, replacing older systems like SAP TRM that were slower and more manual. The platform integrates modules for Tax Return Management, Payments Management, Taxpayer Accounting, Debt Management, Refund Management and Revenue Accounting, along with backend connections to government registries and banking systems. Formally commissioned on August 18, 2025, TaRMS has established itself as ZIMRA’s primary digital platform for online tax filing and payments in 2026.
TaRMS “has been positioned as an integrated, turnkey platform built with modern open technologies”, giving ZIMRA enhanced control over digital tax administration and enabling online compliance activities, according to a Techzim report.
Reports indicate that while the new taxes increase financial obligations for operators and players, the digital administration through TaRMS significantly reduces administrative friction and the risk of errors that characterised older manual filing processes.
By modernising how gambling taxes are collected and documented, ZIMRA has embedded these obligations within a broader revenue reform agenda designed to improve transparency, efficiency and taxpayer convenience.
With these higher levies in place, TaRMS serves as the backbone of Zimbabwe’s digital tax administration, demonstrating how technology is streamlining the country’s growing and increasingly complex gambling market.
