Original Coverage & Source Attribution: africabrief.substack.com
KIGALI, Rwanda — As African governments seek to expand their tax bases and improve revenue collection, a Rwandan financial advisory firm is turning to artificial intelligence to help small and medium-sized enterprises navigate increasingly complex tax systems, writes Winston Mwale.
Mathieu Rwiyereka, CEO of RG Partners, says artificial intelligence could help bridge the information gap between tax administrations and businesses that cannot afford full-time accountants or professional tax advisers.
Speaking on the sidelines of the African Tax Research Network (ATRN) Annual Congress in Kigali recently, Rwiyereka said changing tax legislation, including value-added tax (VAT) and corporate income tax requirements, has made compliance increasingly demanding for businesses across the continent.
“Even for us tax advisors, it would take us a couple of days to be able to advise an organization,” he said.
He argued that advanced technology could significantly reduce that time while making taxation more accessible to ordinary taxpayers.
Introducing Sora Tax AI
RG Partners, a Rwanda-based audit, tax and financial advisory firm supporting organizations across East Africa, has developed an artificial intelligence solution called Sora Tax AI.
According to Rwiyereka, the platform was initially built around a database of tax laws but has evolved to incorporate information from official publications, administrative instructions and other regulatory guidance.
The system is designed to capture new tax information and make it available to users almost immediately.
“If a law is published by official sources, the tax agent is able to take that and advise all the users within 15 seconds,” he said.
Rwiyereka said the platform can also calculate taxes and support organizational tax planning. The company intends to introduce automated tax filing, subject to taxpayers’ consent.
He said the technology could particularly benefit micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, many of which lack the resources to retain professional tax advisers.
Addressing AI Risks and Data Protection
Despite his enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, Rwiyereka acknowledged the risks associated with using general-purpose AI systems for financial and taxation advice.
He warned that inaccurate AI-generated information, commonly described as hallucinations, could expose taxpayers to costly financial decisions.
“Since we are talking about money, it’s likely to make you take the wrong financial decision,” he said, stressing the importance of regulation.
According to Rwiyereka, RG Partners has secured data protection-related authorizations in Rwanda and subjects its platform to regular reviews by tax professionals.
He said fiscal and other legal experts also vet the underlying database to minimize inaccuracies and bias.
Making Tax Compliance Easier for Small Businesses
RG Partners describes Sora Tax AI as Rwanda’s first AI-powered tax compliance assistant, available in Kinyarwanda, English and French.
Rwiyereka believes such tools could transform how African businesses manage their tax obligations, from identifying applicable taxes and incentives to preparing returns.
He said a business should eventually be able to enter its sales and expenses, review its tax records and complete filing within minutes rather than spending days navigating administrative procedures.
However, he expressed concern that some tax systems appear to benefit from penalties and interest imposed on businesses that struggle to understand their obligations.
“In our context, we see tax penalties as the cost of not understanding taxation,” he said.
He argued that improving taxpayer education and access to affordable technology could help businesses comply voluntarily while supporting governments’ domestic revenue mobilization efforts.
For Rwiyereka, the ultimate objective is to ensure that sophisticated tax advisory services are no longer accessible only to large corporations.
“Every type of small organization in the age we are needs to have access to advanced technology,” he said.
The interview took place during the 11th ATRN Annual Congress, organized by the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) in Kigali from Sept. 22-24, 2026, under the theme Contemporary Taxation Issues in Africa.
The gathering examined emerging taxation challenges, including artificial intelligence, automation and the future of tax administration across the continent.
