Power Cut or No Network: What to Do So You Stay Compliant
Published · Last checked 18 October 2026 · 4 min read
Load-shedding, a dead router, a till that won't start: in Zimbabwe these are normal business days, not emergencies. ZIMRA's rules still apply when your fiscal device is offline. The good news is that a short plan keeps you compliant and trading.
What ZIMRA expects
ZIMRA's fiscalisation guidance sets out clear duties for fiscal device owners:
- Backup power that can keep the device running for at least 8 hours after the power goes.
- If a device will be out of use for more than 8 hours (power cut, theft, technical fault or similar), report it to ZIMRA within 8 hours and get an error report number.
- If the fault happens outside your business hours, on a weekend or a public holiday, report it by 8am on the next working day.
- Do not switch to another system (such as a manual receipt book) without ZIMRA's approval.
- Keep a record of every service and repair.
ZIMRA's hotlines for fiscalisation compliance are 0800 4423 and 0242-770884.
Power cut versus internet outage
These are different problems.
| Situation | What usually happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Internet down, power on | Most modern systems keep issuing fiscal receipts and send them to ZIMRA when the connection returns, up to the fiscal day's maximum length | Keep selling; you need internet again to close the day, so report the outage if it will last longer than 8 hours |
| Power down, backup working | Device runs on battery or UPS | Keep selling; watch the battery level |
| Power down, no backup | Device stops | If it will be down more than 8 hours, report to ZIMRA and get a reference number |
| Device broken or stolen | No fiscal receipts possible | Report to ZIMRA within 8 hours; call your supplier |
Your outage plan (print this and stick it by the till)
- Backup power: a UPS, inverter or solar battery sized for at least 8 hours of the till and printer.
- Second connection: a mobile data router or phone hotspot as a fallback for the internet.
- Who calls ZIMRA: name one person per shift and keep the hotline numbers on the plan.
- What to write down: time the fault started, what failed, the ZIMRA reference number, time it was fixed.
- Before closing: confirm all queued receipts reached ZIMRA, then close the fiscal day.
- Never issue unofficial receipts "for now" without ZIMRA's say-so.
How to size your backup power
Add up the watts of what must stay on: till or laptop, receipt printer, router. Multiply by 8 hours. For example, a laptop (50 W), printer (30 W) and router (10 W) need about 90 W × 8 h = 720 Wh, plus a margin. Ask your solar or UPS supplier for a unit above that.
How TaxComply helps
TaxComply's POS keeps selling when the internet drops, stores each receipt safely, and sends them to ZIMRA in order when the connection returns. It runs on Android phones and tablets, which last hours on battery. Businesses across Zimbabwe use it to keep trading through load-shedding without breaking ZIMRA's rules. Get started at taxcomply.co.zw or email sales@taxcomply.co.zw to talk to our team.
Related: Fiscal day and Z-report in plain English
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a receipt book when the power is off?
Not without ZIMRA's approval. Report the fault, get a reference number and follow ZIMRA's instructions.
My internet was off for two days. Am I in trouble?
Possibly. Receipts can be queued for a while, but you need a connection to close the fiscal day, and the till must stop issuing receipts once ZIMRA's maximum fiscal-day length is reached. For an outage that long, you should have reported it to ZIMRA within 8 hours and kept the reference number.
Does load-shedding count as a fault I must report?
If your device will be out of use for more than 8 hours because of it, yes.
Keep selling through the outage
Receipts stored safely offline and sent to ZIMRA in order when you're back online.