Ministry Phases Out Manual Receipts in QR Codes Favour

Ministry Phases Out Manual Receipts in QR Codes Favour

Dec 13 , 2025. By YITBAREK GETACHEW ( FORTUNE STAFF WRITER )

The Ministry of Revenues is moving to invalidate non-QR receipts as part of its digital tax overhaul. Registration has surged, reaching over nine-tenths of federal taxpayers, yet delivery has lagged. QR receipts promise traceability, real-time verification and reduced abuse. Centralising printing under one provider has tightened oversight while stretching capacity.

Federal tax authorities are pushing the final phase of their QR-coded receipt initiative, an ambitious overhaul that will make traditional manual receipts obsolete by the end of the month. The policy signals a dramatic shift in the way business transactions are recorded and verified, placing increased pressure on compliance, enforcement, and logistical capacity.

Taxpayers still using the old manual pads have been told to apply for QR receipts before the end of this month, with only a 10-day registration window available at the Ministry of Revenues branches. After the deadline, transactions documented with non-QR receipts will be invalid, signalling a clear message from authorities about the seriousness of the transition.

This displayed the government’s drive to digitise tax compliance, increasing pressure on businesses and putting the system’s operational capacity to a real-world test. The QR receipt initiative is part of a wider digital integration plan. Ministry data shows that 128,230 taxpayers are now linked to the national ID system.

With each receipt carrying a unique code, transactions can be tracked from the moment they are issued through to official reporting. All government entities that keep accounting records are covered under the system. Buyers and sellers can scan receipts with their phones and instantly confirm registration through a link generated by the Ministry.

Officials believe this function will sharply reduce illegal receipt practices.

According to Rabiya Yimam, director of Tax Data & Sales Registry Equipment Administration at the Ministry, the QR receipt system is tightly integrated with the Ministry’s digital platform and linked directly to every taxpayer’s identification number. This setup enables authorities to verify transactions in real time.

“The QR receipt links directly with the Ministry’s system and the taxpayer’s TIN,” Rabiya told Fortune. “It allows real-time verification and closes the gaps that existed in the old manual system.”

Designed to address chronic flaws in the previous framework, including duplicate printing, mismatched serial numbers, unverifiable balances, and widespread abuse of manual pads, the QR manual receipt was rolled out last year.

The Ministry officials disclosed that registration is moving forward, with 91.2pc of federal-level taxpayers signed up so far. The remaining are expected to complete registration in the days ahead.

However, registering is not the same as receiving the pads themselves. Thousands of businesses that registered are still waiting, caught in a growing backlog as the country’s only authorised printer scrambles to keep up.

Berhanena Selam Printing Enterprise, the state-owned company tapped as the sole printer, had initially committed to printing 700,000 QR pads. That target was later increased to 2.5 million, putting unexpected pressure on printing capacity.

“There was no machinery arrangement for what was required," said Rabiya. "Bulk printing preparation takes time.”

After initially struggling to meet targets, the printer doubled its machine capacity, now producing 17,000 to 20,000 pads a day, up from 7,000 previously. Despite the ramp-up, a queue remains, and registered taxpayers continue to wait. Ministry officials have made it clear that operational difficulties will not result in leniency once the law is fully enforced.

“If the existing manual receipt is used for any reason, the taxpayer will be considered to have used an illegal receipt and will be held liable under the Tax Administration Law,” Rabiya said.

Managers at the Berhanena Selam plan to clear the backlog by January 8, 2026, leveraging new machines and additional staff. Officials at the Ministry acknowledge that they have postponed the registration deadline twice due to low turnout, as many businesses waited until the last moment to register.

For business owners, the shift has been anything but seamless. Alemayehu Kelemu, who runs a shop in Mercato selling construction and finishing materials, has waited more than three months for his QR pads. He has used temporary manual receipts in the meantime, a stopgap measure that leaves him exposed to compliance risks.

“It's tricky," said Alemayehu. "The reason for the delay is obviously known. If I can’t get it, they'll punish me based on their own fault.”

Previously, the task of printing manual receipts was handled by several public and private companies, but the Ministry has since centralised the operation, appointing Berhanena Selam as the sole printer. Each QR pad now costs 450 Br, an amount that could rise as input prices climb, a source of added anxiety for business owners.

Alemayehu uses more than 20 pads, each with 50 sheets, every month. He recognised that centralising receipt printing is necessary and that the revenue authority should control the process, but he doubted the system could handle nationwide demand in such a short time.

“Think about it, if the pad ends again, we'll be back in the same situation,” he said. “My hope is that the Revenue Ministry will no longer have these delays.”

Last year, Alemayehu paid 65,000 Br in taxes. As the audit season approaches, he worries inspectors may reject his temporary receipts, increasing his risk of fines.

Another taxpayer, running two companies and asking not to be named, has one of his firms received its QR pads. The other, registered in August, is still waiting. Both businesses, one in import and retail and the other in construction materials, have used temporary receipts more than once.

“Our work requires receipts," he told Fortune. "We're using temporary ones for now. Delays were expected, but centralising the system avoids the unwanted practices we saw in the past.”

He believes that late registration by businesses added pressure, while relying on a single printer has worsened delays. The shift from several private printers to only one, along with rising input material costs, has only added to the stress.

“I 'm not expecting everything to be finalised in less than a month,” he said. “The QR system will help with legality; the rest, we'll see in a day.”

According to Rabiya,  printing and distribution have picked up as machinery problems have been addressed. Machine capacity has nearly tripled, and distribution is under close supervision. Most taxpayers have joined the system, with only a small group left out. Rabiya admitted that the Ministry did not anticipate the current supply crunch and says alternative solutions are being considered for those who registered on time but have not received their pads.

“We didn’t plan on falling short,” she said. “But if some can't get the pads, there will be a solution.”

Biruk Nigussie, a tax expert who spent over 10 years at the Ministry of Revenues. He worked his way up from entry-level positions to management roles, including in audit and assessment, and has trained in international tax administration tools such as the IMF’s TADAT. He saw the move toward centralisation as sound in principle, but worried about how it is being executed and the compressed timeline as problematic.

“The idea is good in terms of centralisation and process,” he said. “The main issue is whether it will succeed.”

Taxpayers should register at their local revenue offices, which then forward requests to the printer, while the Ministry maintains oversight. Long waiting lists, some longer than a month, and a considerable group of unregistered taxpayers make Biruk sceptical that everything will be completed on schedule.

Biruk has a reservation over the repeated deadline extensions, arguing that they only encourage last-minute sign-ups. If manual receipts are invalidated before the system is fully operational, businesses could grind to a halt, since every transaction should have a valid receipt. Biruk urged the Ministry's officials to consider adopting e-invoicing, which he believes would address many bottlenecks and deliver better results for taxpayers, regulators, and the economy over the long term.

PUBLISHED ON Dec 13,2025 [ VOL 26 , NO 1337]