Owners of registered business names in Uganda must now file an annual Statement of Business Continuity with URSB. Introduced in 2024, the requirement applies even when business details have not changed. Here is who needs to file, the published fee, and how missing three consecutive years can put your registered business name at risk.
Business owners in Uganda who registered a business name with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) have an annual filing obligation to keep on their compliance calendar.
The requirement involves submitting a Statement of Business Continuity, known as Form E, confirming that the business is still operating under its registered name.
Introduced in 2024, the obligation means that owners should check their URSB records even if their business details have not changed. Missing three consecutive years of filing can trigger the legal process for removing a business name from the register. Read the official rules.
Does this requirement concern your business?
If you registered a business name with URSB, this is a requirement you should check.
It applies to firms and individuals with business names registered under the Business Names Registration Act. This includes sole proprietors and relevant firms trading under registered business names.
Check the registration category shown on your certificate or URSB record. A registered business name and an incorporated company have different filing obligations. Companies’ annual returns are separate from this business-name continuity statement. See the Business Names Registration Act.
What changed?
The Business Names Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2024 introduced annual continuity filing through Rule 8A. The rules were published in the Uganda Gazette on 14 June 2024, which is also their recorded commencement date.
URSB subsequently recorded the introduction of mandatory annual Form E filing in its 2023/24 annual report. The stated purpose includes confirming active business names and maintaining an up-to-date register. Official amendment rules, commencement record, and URSB annual report.
For owners who previously understood business-name registration as a one-time process, this is an important change. Annual Form E filing was introduced in 2024, although other duties—such as reporting changes in registered particulars—already existed.
What is the Statement of Business Continuity?
The Statement of Business Continuity confirms that a firm or individual continues to carry on business under a registered business name.
Commonly called Form E, it records the business name, registration number and relevant proprietor or partner information.
It is a confirmation of continued operation, so the annual obligation is not limited to businesses that have changed their address, ownership details or other registered particulars. View URSB’s official forms page.
When must business owners file?
Rule 8A requires the statement at the end of every calendar year.
Owners should therefore include it in their annual business administration and check for outstanding earlier years.
As of 22 October 2026, the 2026 calendar year has not ended. However, outstanding statements for previous years should be addressed promptly. Read the annual filing provision.
Why is URSB requesting filings for 2024 and 2025?
Some business owners may encounter a message such as:
“Your business is not compliant for statement of continuity (Form E). You are required to file for: 2024, 2025.”
A warning listing these years is consistent with the requirement’s introduction in 2024 and its annual filing cycle.
Review the years shown against your own records. If you already submitted a statement, locate its acknowledgement or reference and ask URSB to clarify any discrepancy.
The warning identifies outstanding compliance items; it does not, by itself, establish that your business name has already been removed.
What happens if you do not file?
Three consecutive years of nonfiling can put your registered business name at risk.
The 2024 rules allow the registrar to commence the statutory removal process after three consecutive missed years. Removal is subject to the legal procedure; it is not automatic merely because an annual statement is outstanding. See Rule 8A.
For an owner missing 2024 and 2025, also missing the 2026 statement could reach that three-year threshold. This follows from the annual timeline and should not be read as an announcement of a blanket removal date.
Does missing Form E attract a daily fine?
The official sources reviewed for this article did not establish a Form E-specific daily fine or late-filing penalty schedule.
Confirm any additional charge directly with URSB. Business owners should take outstanding filings seriously because the rules expressly provide a route towards removal from the register.
How much does annual continuity filing cost?
URSB’s published fee schedule lists UGX 55,000 for filing another document on the business-name register, expressly including a business continuity form.
If two outstanding annual statements are charged separately, the government filing fees would total UGX 110,000. Confirm the actual assessment in the URSB system before making payment.
Any fee charged for professional assistance should be identified separately from the government filing charges. Check URSB’s official fee schedule.
What should business owners do now?
If you have a registered business name, take these steps:
- Check your URSB business record. Access the official service through URSB’s website and review any compliance warning.
- Identify the outstanding years. Check the system’s request against your previous submissions.
- Confirm your information. Ensure the business and proprietor or partner details are accurate.
- Complete the required annual statements. Follow the current instructions provided by URSB.
- Retain confirmation. Keep receipts, submission references and evidence that the filings were accepted.
- Set a yearly reminder. Review your continuity filing obligation before the calendar year ends.
Do not rely only on a payment receipt. Confirm that the statement itself has been submitted and accepted.
Frequently asked questions
Must I file even if my business details have not changed?
Yes. The annual statement confirms that the business continues to operate under its registered name. It is separate from reporting changes in registered particulars. See the official rules.
Is Form E the same as a URA tax return?
No. Form E concerns the business-name register maintained by URSB. It serves a different purpose from tax returns submitted to the Uganda Revenue Authority.
Does this replace a company’s annual return?
No. Business-name continuity statements and incorporated companies’ annual returns are separate filing obligations. Check your registration category before selecting a service.
Does a noncompliance warning mean my business name has been cancelled?
No. The warning alone does not establish removal. Check the current status of your registration and address the outstanding filings.
What if the business has stopped operating?
Do not submit a statement confirming continued operation if that is inaccurate. Ask URSB about the appropriate cessation or removal procedure. Its published fee schedule includes notices of cessation of business or removal of a business name. See the official fee schedule.
Keep your registered business name compliant
A registration certificate is an important business record, but owners also need to keep up with continuing filing obligations.
If your URSB account shows outstanding continuity statements, check the listed years and take steps to resolve them. Waiting can allow missed filings to accumulate towards the three-consecutive-year threshold.
Need help understanding your URSB warning? Contact Kartel Tech for assistance reviewing the outstanding requirements and preparing your next steps.
Information checked on 22 October 2026. Confirm current procedures and assessed charges with URSB when filing.
