It’s 1st July 2018 and the government of Uganda expects you to be pay your Taxes before you can watch cat Videos, gifs, memes and send Emojis on your favorite social media App. MTN Uganda has already sent out an SMS to their customers telling them that WFT and SWIFT (Snapchat, Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) will nolonger be available. And we have unconfirmed reports from certains users who can nolonger access specific Apps on MTN and Airtel networks.
So this is real. Even though those 5 OTT services are the most popular, there are over 50 messaging and voice services that will be blocked in Uganda unless you pay a tax of Ugx 200/day. According to a leaked presentation by Uganda Revenue Authority(URA), Uganda’s tax body, SWIFT and Telegram, Google Allo, Hangouts, Android Messages, iMessages, WeChat, Kakao Talk, Truecaller, Skype, BBM-Free, Signal, ViberYahoo Messenger and tens of others will be taxed.
Related Post: Mobile Money Tax: A complete list of all taxable financial services
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Here’s the complete list;
| Complete list of OTT services to be Taxed in Uganda |
|---|
| Truecaller |
| Google Hangouts |
| Google Allo |
| Viber |
| SnapChat |
| LINE |
| Phone+ |
| Call Free |
| Signal |
| StealthChat |
| Tinder |
| MeetMe |
| Telegram |
| IM+ |
| iMessenger |
| Yahoo Messenger |
| Facetime |
| Android Messages |
| New Messenger |
| Textra |
| WiCall |
| InMesage |
| Hi5 |
| Freevideo-Mail.Ru |
| TextMe |
| TalkU |
| LOVOO |
| Drupe |
| IMO |
| Hangouts Dialer |
| CallerID |
| MagicApp |
| Skype |
| Badoo |
| Hitwe |
| SayHi |
| Ipair-Meet |
| Tumblr |
| Kik |
| Chatouts |
| Grindr |
| LiveTalk |
| Zalo |
| KakaoTalk |
| Mood |
| Plus |
| LinkdedIN |
| BBM-Free |
| Voxer Walkie Talkie |
| Hike |
| Moments |
Mobile subscribers are expected to pay the tax via various Mobile money platforms.
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David Okwii is the Editor-in-Chief of Dignited.com and a seasoned tech enthusiast whose journey began in the early 2000s. He started blogging while at university, diving deep into mobile apps, smartphone reviews, and operating systems—from testing Linux distros to tweaking Windows machines. David also explores Chromebooks, experiments with Raspberry Pi projects, and brings hands-on curiosity to every review. With vast experience in Uganda’s tech ecosystem and deep knowledge of Africa’s startup landscape, he offers informed, grounded perspectives on consumer technology. When he's not writing or tinkering, David enjoys connecting with nature and exploring the outdoors.
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