How to verify a TRA receipt

Steps to verify a receipt online

The portal text read for this guide shows only the code field and the verify button. It does not list the details returned for a valid receipt ¹.

• Have your EFD or VFD receipt ready. The portal asks for the receipt verification code from that receipt ¹.
• Open the TRA Receipt Verification portal at verify.tra.go.tz ¹.
• Type the code in the field marked "Enter Receipt Verification Code" ¹.
• Press "Verify Receipt" and read the result shown by the portal ¹.
• If the receipt does not verify, keep it and contact TRA on +255 22 2116453 or at 28 Edward Sokoine Drive, Dar es Salaam ².

What a genuine fiscal receipt comes from

A fiscal receipt is produced by a device TRA approves. TRA lists four EFD machine types: the Electronic Tax Register, the Electronic Fiscal Printer, the Electronic Signature Device and the Electronic Fiscal Pump Printer ². A Virtual Fiscal Device (VFD) is cloud-hosted software approved by the Commissioner General that captures, transmits and keeps sales records ⁴.

TRA says each receipt is uniquely identifiable, the device has an irreversible date mechanism, and the device sends tax information to the TRA system ². Devices must be supplied by firms certified by the Commissioner General ⁴.

Receipts and tax stamps are different checks

TRA runs a separate tool for excise tax stamps under the Electronic Tax Stamps Management System ³. Stamps on excisable products carry security features, unique numbers and encrypted codes linked to a track-and-trace system ³.

To check a stamp, download the free Hakiki Stempu app, use it to check the stamp's security features and read the result. An authentic stamp returns product information from the track-and-trace system ³. TRA says all app use and reporting is anonymous ³.

If a seller refuses to give a receipt

TRA's message to the public is "Whenever you sell, issue receipt. Whenever you buy, demand receipt" ^2,3. A trader who fails to issue a receipt or issues a false one faces a fine of 200 to 300 currency points, prison up to 3 years, or both, according to TRA ². A buyer who fails to demand a receipt or report a denied receipt faces a fine of 2 to 100 currency points ².

The Tax Administration Act lists section 36 on the use of electronic fiscal devices and section 86 on the offence of failing to use one ⁵. TRA's stamp verification page links to a tax evasion reporting form ³.

Why verification matters to TRA

A CAG performance audit tabled in Parliament on 16 April 2025 found that over 88 percent of traders holding business TINs were not registered for EFDs, as reported by Jacob Mosenda of The Citizen ⁶. The report did not carry a TRA response ⁶.