Tax Highlight - Advance Ruling: Navigating Customs with certainty

Introduction

In the dynamic landscape of international trade, where every shipment can be a potential challenge, the introduction of Section 248A in the EAC Customs Management Act, 2004, emerges as a game-changer, drawing inspiration from the World Customs Organization's (WCO) Trade Facilitation Agreement. This ground breaking provision, assented to in 2017 and commenced in November 2019, empowers taxpayers within the East African Community (EAC) to proactively shape their trade destiny by leveraging the principles advocated by the WCO. In this article, we summarise the Advance ruling and its implications.