Yaoundé moves to digitize fiscal stamps starting November 2024 ⁰

Starting November 15, 2024, Cameroon will eliminate physical fiscal stamps. The announcement was made by the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motazé, on November 1, 2024.

From that date, the fiscal stamp required for various documents—such as driver’s licenses, vehicle registration cards, gun permits, hunting licenses, scientific research permits, transport contracts, property transfers, and others—will be declared paid online through the General Tax Directorate’s (DGI) platform.

The Minister said that the traditional physical stamp will be replaced by an online payment receipt. This receipt can be verified through the DGI’s system for authenticity. Although Motazé listed specific documents in his announcement, DGI officials confirmed that the move to digital applies to all types of fiscal stamps, including those used on photocopies and graduated stamps.

According to tax agents, most beneficiaries of tax exemptions pay this stamp tax, which has a fixed rate of CFA300,000, in line with current regulations.

The reform is designed to improve the security of tax revenue by removing cash transactions and the use of stamping machines, which have been linked to fraud in the past. Some of these machines were reportedly missing or deliberately malfunctioning in certain financial districts, allowing criminal networks to divert public funds. The issue was especially apparent during high-demand periods, such as the start of administrative exams or public sector recruitment drives.

Stamping machines were introduced in Cameroon a few years ago to combat the widespread counterfeiting of physical stamps. However, despite this effort, fraudsters continued to find ways to bypass the system, depriving the government of substantial revenue each year.

Source: Business in Cameroon