A finance manager can make every payment on time and still lose a tender because the company’s ITF 263 does not arrive. In 2026, that usually points to an incomplete return, an FDMS invoice that does not validate, or master data that needs attention in TaRMS.
This ZIMRA compliance calendar helps Zimbabwean companies organise the recurring work around TaRMS, fiscalisation, quarterly payments and tax clearance. It reflects ZIMRA requirements known as of September 2026. Statutory dates and tax treatment require review by an M&J team member before publication or filing.
The 2026 calendar at a glance
The calendar starts with a simple distinction. TaRMS is ZIMRA’s online tax administration system. FDMS is the fiscalisation environment accessed from TaRMS through the option labelled “Navigate to FDMS Portal”.
| Timing | Compliance action | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Every sales day | Fiscalise qualifying sales through an FDMS-compatible device or virtual device | ZIMRA uses FDMS data for fiscal records and, from 2026, VAT input-tax validation. |
| By the 10th of the applicable period | Submit VAT return in TaRMS for VAT categories A, B and C | Filing and payment have separate deadlines. A payment alone does not complete the return. |
| By the 15th of the applicable period | Pay VAT due | VAT is 15.5 percent in 2026 [VERIFY]. |
| 20 March [VERIFY] | First QPD, subject to ZIMRA’s separate 25 March first-quarter statement [VERIFY] | The published notice contains two first-quarter dates. Confirm the applicable date before payment. |
| 20 June | Second QPD | The cumulative QPD percentage reaches 25 percent of estimated annual tax. |
| 20 September | Third QPD | The cumulative QPD percentage reaches 55 percent of estimated annual tax. |
| 15 December | Fourth QPD | The cumulative QPD percentage reaches 90 percent of estimated annual tax. |
| Before tendering or receiving qualifying payments | Check ITF 263 status in TaRMS | A valid clearance can prevent 30 percent withholding on payments of USD1,000 or more. |
Put these dates into the finance calendar, but assign an owner and a review date before each deadline. A calendar reminder does not identify a missing purchase invoice, an unpaid tax head, or a changed director email address.
Step 1: Keep TaRMS complete, not merely funded
Companies submit online returns through the TaRMS Self-Service Portal. Finance teams commonly treat the portal as a payment channel. ZIMRA treats it as the place where returns, payments and taxpayer master data need to agree.
The most common mistake we see in compliance reviews is a bank payment with no corresponding return. The cash has left the company account, but TaRMS cannot allocate it correctly to the taxpayer ledger until the related return is filed. That gap can also stop automatic ITF 263 issuance.
Monthly TaRMS control list
At month-end, reconcile the following before the next filing cycle:
- Returns submitted for every registered tax head.
- Payments matched to the relevant return and period.
- Taxpayer master data, including contacts and business details, checked for accuracy.
- FDMS invoices reviewed for VAT purchases and sales.
- Tax clearance status checked before the company submits a tender or invoices a major customer.
ITF 263 means ZIMRA’s tax-clearance certificate. TaRMS auto-generates and emails it when registered tax-head returns, payments and master data are current. It is a compliance outcome, not a manual annual application.
For LCO and MCO clearances, ITF 263 expires on 31 December. Other clearances expire 12 months after issue. Check the certificate date, rather than assuming last year’s copy remains valid.
Worked example: a payment that did not clear the ledger
Take a Harare engineering supplier with a USD18,000 monthly billing cycle. Its accounts officer paid tax through the bank but left one return unsubmitted in TaRMS, believing the payment receipt would be enough. When the business needed an ITF 263 for a USD6,500 contract payment, the certificate did not auto-generate and the customer raised the prospect of 30 percent withholding.
The company spent two working days tracing the period, submitting the outstanding return and reconciling the payment. The better control would have been a monthly TaRMS reconciliation signed off before the tender team requested clearance. For companies with regular contracts above USD1,000, that discipline is less costly than explaining a preventable withholding to a customer.
Step 2: Fiscalise sales and protect VAT input tax
Fiscalisation in Zimbabwe does not apply only to businesses registered for VAT. All VAT operators, plus taxpayers required under section 90 of the Income Tax Act, must fiscalise sales through FDMS-compatible hardware or virtual devices. The obligation can apply below the USD25,000 VAT-registration threshold [VERIFY].
That point matters to smaller enterprises. If your turnover is below the VAT threshold, do not assume you can ignore fiscal devices. First confirm whether section 90 brings the business into the fiscalisation requirement.
From tax periods beginning in 2026, ZIMRA no longer permits manual VAT input-tax schedules unless the Commissioner approves them. TaRMS draws input-tax claims from FDMS-fed invoices, which changes the practical work required from accounts teams.
Before claiming input VAT, confirm that the supplier invoice shows “Valid” in FDMS and contains accurate buyer details. An invoice with the wrong buyer’s name or tax details can leave a legitimate business expense outside the input-tax claim, because TaRMS cannot rely on incomplete fiscal data.
VAT returns for categories A, B and C fall due for filing by the 10th and payment by the 15th of the stated tax period. Keep both reminders. The five-day gap gives finance teams a chance to review the return and liquidity position, but it does not make the filing deadline optional.
Worked example: the invoice that could not support input VAT
Take a retailer with twelve staff, USD40,000 in monthly payroll and regular local inventory purchases. One supplier issued invoices with the retailer’s old branch details, and several records did not show as “Valid” in FDMS. The retailer could see the purchases in its accounting system, but the team could not rely on those invoices for a clean TaRMS input-tax claim.
The finance manager paused the claim, asked the supplier to correct the buyer data and added FDMS validation to goods-received procedures. The better decision would have been to provide correct buyer details before the first purchase order. With VAT at 15.5 percent in 2026 [VERIFY], invoice quality has a direct cash-flow effect.
Step 3: Plan QPDs from the annual estimate
QPD means Quarterly Payment Date. It is the provisional income-tax system under which a company estimates its annual tax and pays that estimate in instalments during the year.
For 2026, ZIMRA sets the instalment percentages at 10 percent, 25 percent, 30 percent and 35 percent of estimated annual tax. These percentages are cumulative across the four QPDs: 10 percent by the first date, 35 percent by the second, 65 percent by the third and 100 percent by the final payment.
| QPD | Published due date | Instalment | Cumulative amount due |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 20 March [VERIFY], with a separate ZIMRA statement of 25 March [VERIFY] | 10% | 10% |
| Second | 20 June | 25% | 35% |
| Third | 20 September | 30% | 65% |
| Fourth | 15 December | 35% | 100% |
The first-quarter inconsistency needs judgement. Do not choose a date based on convenience. Obtain confirmation from ZIMRA or your tax adviser before the first payment, and retain the advice with the QPD working papers.
How to calculate QPD in Zimbabwe
Start with a current forecast of taxable profit, not revenue. Apply the relevant tax treatment to estimate annual income tax, then multiply that estimated annual tax by the cumulative QPD percentage due at each quarter.
For example, if a company estimates annual income tax of USD100,000, its first QPD is USD10,000. By the second QPD, its cumulative payment should be USD35,000, so it pays a further USD25,000 if the first payment was made in full. This illustration explains the timing only and does not replace a company-specific tax computation.
Update the forecast before each QPD. A business that wins a large contract in August should not continue using a March estimate merely because it is already in the spreadsheet. Conversely, if margins fall materially, review the estimate with evidence rather than paying a number that no longer reflects the year.
For 2026, companies with estimated income above 50 percent in foreign currency must maintain separate 50-50 foreign-currency and ZiG tax accounting. Where foreign-currency income is 50 percent or less, account in the currency of trade. This rule affects QPD forecasting because the finance team needs the right currency analysis before it estimates annual tax.
The annual self-assessment return is Form ITF 12C. For the year ended 31 December 2025, ZIMRA extended the filing deadline from 30 April to 30 May 2026. Treat that as a dated extension for that tax year, not as a permanent change to future filing dates.
Step 4: Build a compliance rhythm that the board can trust
A sound ZIMRA compliance calendar links operations, accounting and governance. Sales teams need to fiscalise at the point of sale. Procurement needs to collect correct buyer details. Finance needs to reconcile TaRMS, prepare VAT returns and refresh QPD estimates.
For a company with limited transactions, a monthly review may be sufficient between statutory deadlines. For a retailer, importer or group with high invoice volumes, reconcile FDMS data weekly. The right frequency depends on transaction volume and the cost of correcting errors after a return is filed.
We recommend a one-page board report each quarter that shows: tax returns filed, tax payments matched, ITF 263 status, FDMS exceptions and the revised QPD forecast. That gives directors a clear view of compliance exposure without turning the board pack into a tax ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is QPD in ZIMRA terms?
QPD means Quarterly Payment Date. It refers to provisional income-tax instalments based on a company’s estimated annual tax liability.
What are the ZIMRA QPD dates for 2026?
ZIMRA lists 20 March, 20 June, 20 September and 15 December for 2026. The first-quarter notice also separately states 25 March for the first payment [VERIFY], so companies should confirm the applicable first-quarter date before filing.
Do companies below the VAT threshold need to fiscalise?
They may. ZIMRA states that fiscalisation also applies to taxpayers required under section 90 of the Income Tax Act, including some businesses below the USD25,000 VAT-registration threshold [VERIFY].
Why has my ITF 263 not generated after payment?
Check whether every registered tax-head return is filed, payments are allocated to the correct period and taxpayer master data is current in TaRMS. A bank payment without its related return may not support automatic tax-clearance issuance.
Your 2026 compliance position should be visible before ZIMRA, a customer or an investor asks for it. Speak With Our Team to review your TaRMS, fiscalisation, QPD and ITF 263 controls.