Tanzania’s VAT Refund Revolution: The Quiet Reform That Could Unlock Billions in Private Investment

When governments unveil annual budgets, headlines focus on the big numbers: spending, growth and tax collection. But sometimes the real story sits quietly in the technical annexes. Tanzania’s 2026/27 budget, due to take effect from July, includes plans for 6.3%GDP growth and the biggest spending plan in the country’s history while narrowing the deficit. Yet one quieter reform may prove more consequential: VAT refunds. This mundane issue has been one of the biggest friction points in Tanzania’s…