Ethiopia Expands Mobile Tax Payments Nationwide Through telebirr

Ethiopia has expanded mobile tax payment services across the federal government and most regional revenue authorities through Ethio telecom’s mobile money platform, telebirr, marking one of Africa’s broadest integrations of mobile money into public revenue collection.

The latest nationwide rollout, highlighted in a public update by Ethio telecom during the country’s annual tax filing period, enables taxpayers to pay obligations to the federal Ministry of Revenues as well as the revenue authorities of Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Oromia, Amhara, Sidama, South Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, South West Ethiopia Peoples’, Somali, Harari, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz using the telebirr mobile application or its USSD service.

The development represents the latest phase of a programme that began with Addis Ababa’s revenue authority in 2022 before expanding through a partnership with the Ministry of Revenues in 2023 and subsequent integrations with regional governments, creating a unified digital payment network spanning multiple levels of public administration.

The expansion underscores the growing role of mobile money in Ethiopia’s digital transformation, with payment platforms increasingly serving as infrastructure for government services in addition to consumer and merchant transactions.

For taxpayers, the system replaces processes that often required visits to banks and revenue offices, paper payment slips and manual verification before tax records were updated. Payments can now be completed remotely, with instant confirmation and digital receipts generated electronically.

For revenue authorities, digital payments provide faster transaction verification, automated reconciliation and improved audit trails while reducing reliance on paper-based processes that can contribute to payment discrepancies, forged receipts, manual errors and revenue leakage.

The rollout also broadens access to digital government services by allowing taxpayers to make payments through both smartphones and basic mobile phones using USSD technology, extending services beyond conventional banking channels.

Across Africa, governments are increasingly integrating mobile financial services into public administration as part of wider digital public infrastructure strategies aimed at improving service delivery, increasing transparency and expanding financial inclusion. Ethiopia’s nationwide tax payment network places telebirr among a growing number of mobile money platforms supporting essential government services rather than solely retail payments.

Launched in 2021, telebirr has rapidly expanded beyond person-to-person transfers into merchant payments, utility bills, transport, government services and other digital transactions. Its integration with tax administration reflects the platform’s increasingly central role in Ethiopia’s evolving digital payments ecosystem.

The latest expansion illustrates how mobile network operators are becoming key enablers of digital public infrastructure, with telecommunications platforms supporting the modernisation of public revenue collection while simplifying compliance for millions of taxpayers.