Income Tax Filing: Last-minute rush, users struggle to access site

By Synthia Lateu

With less than 48 hours left before the deadline for income tax declarations on December 2, 2024, many Cameroonians are in a rush to complete the process. The declaration process is being conducted online through the General Directorate of Taxes website. However, users are facing significant challenges due to high traffic and difficulties accessing the income declaration interface.
“It’s a nightmare to access, not to mention edit. I have been trying to access it unsuccessfully,” one frustrated user lamented. Another individual pleaded for an extension of the deadline.
Filing taxes is mandatory for both salaried workers and the self-employed, although exemptions apply to individuals in emergency medical situations, as well as students and pupils without income.

This deadline, which has already been postponed multiple times, was initially set for December 1, 2024. Finance Minister Louise Paul Motaze said in a press release on Friday, 29th November 2024, that this date falls on a non-working day and granted taxpayers an extension until Monday, December 2, 2024, to fulfill their filing and payment obligations.

Minister Motaze warned that failing to meet the new deadline will result in penalties as stipulated in the State Tax Procedures Code. The General Directorate of Taxes emphasized that those who neglect their tax obligations risk being unable to obtain essential documents, including the Registration Certificate, Tax Compliance Certificate, travel visas, and the ability to open bank accounts or secure contracts for services such as water, electricity, and telephone.
This requirement was introduced by the 2021 Finance Law, signed by President Paul Biya on December 17, 2020