Support at a glance
| Area | Status in Uganda | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | Supported | New organisations start in UGX, and multi-currency is available |
| VAT | Records only | Starting VAT codes, which you check and edit, plus a VAT return report |
| URA EFRIS | Not connected | Navigate does not sign invoices or send data to URA |
| Mobile money | Manual records | Add an MTN MoMo or Airtel Money account and enter each receipt |
| Cards and online checkout | Possible through a provider | Connect your own Flutterwave or Pesapal account |
| Payroll | Set up by you | You must add Ugandan rates before running payroll |
| SMS | Possible through a gateway | Connect an SMS provider that has an HTTP API |
EFRIS and tax
EFRIS stands for Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution. URA describes it as a way for businesses to record transactions and share them with URA in real time. URA says VAT-registered businesses, and others in designated sectors, must use it.
- Navigate has no EFRIS connection. An invoice issued in Navigate is not an EFRIS invoice.
- If EFRIS applies to you, you must issue through URA's approved route as well as keeping your books in Navigate.
- That can mean entering sales twice, so consider this cost before you choose Navigate.
- In Navigate, new organisations in Uganda start with Standard, Zero-rated and Exempt codes. Check the rates with URA or your accountant.
- The VAT return report and its export give you figures. Navigate does not file them.
Mobile money
In Bank & cash accounts, add a mobile money account and choose a provider, such as MTN MoMo or Airtel Money, and its channel: paybill, till or phone wallet. Each account has its own ledger account, so its balance agrees with the books.
- A customer pays on their phone in the usual way. A staff member then enters the receipt and reference in Navigate.
- Navigate sends no payment prompts and does not fetch or match mobile money payments in Uganda.
- On screens today, the mobile money method is labelled M-Pesa in every country. In Uganda, this method records money into the mobile money account you chose.
- Navigate's M-Pesa link uses Safaricom in Kenya shillings and does not work for Ugandan businesses.
Online payments through a provider
A business can connect its own Flutterwave or Pesapal account to send payment links on invoices. Navigate opens the provider's hosted page with the invoice currency. What the customer can use on that page is set by the provider. Flutterwave's documentation lists UGX with card and Ugandan mobile money. Pesapal says it operates in Uganda and names MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money among its methods. Confirm these with the provider, then test a small payment before you rely on it.
Payroll
The payroll engine is driven by rates per country and year. Only Kenya is set up for you. You must add Uganda's PAYE bands and deductions before running a pay group. The ready-made statutory return exports are Kenyan formats, so you would use the general payroll reports to prepare your own returns.
Language and paying for Navigate
The interface starts in the browser's language, else English, and each person can choose English, Kiswahili or French. Prices on the website appear in UGX where a rate is available, as a guide. M-Pesa subscription payments are for businesses in Kenya, so a Ugandan business pays by card where offered. The charge is in US dollars by default at the day's rate.
Where Navigate may not fit
- No URA EFRIS link. If you must issue through EFRIS, you need a separate route, and Navigate may mean double entry.
- No live MTN MoMo or Airtel Money link. Payments are entered by hand unless a provider checkout is used.
- Navigate's M-Pesa and eTIMS features do not apply in Uganda.
- No Ugandan payroll rates or return formats are set up for you.
- A business that wants invoices and tax signing in one Ugandan-approved system should look elsewhere today.
Frequently asked questions
Does Navigate integrate with URA EFRIS?
No. Navigate has no EFRIS connection. It records VAT, but it does not issue, sign or send invoices through EFRIS.
Can I receive MTN MoMo payments in Navigate?
You can record them in a mobile money account with their reference. There are no live prompts or automatic matching. A connected provider's checkout page may offer MoMo, depending on that provider.
Can I keep my books in Uganda shillings?
Yes. UGX is the starting currency for Uganda, and you can add other currencies if you trade in them.
Can I run payroll for Ugandan staff?
Yes, after you add Uganda's statutory rates in Payroll Setup. The rates are yours to enter and keep up to date. There is no URA or NSSF return export.