> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bumara.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Frequently asked questions

> The questions people ask most about compliance, invoicing, payroll and inventory in Bumara.

## Getting started

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How long does setup take?">
    About twenty minutes for your organisation details and regulator connections, provided you have
    your certificates to hand. Adding employees, customers and stock items takes longer and depends
    on how many you have — use the bulk imports.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need to be registered with PACRA before using Bumara?">
    No. If your business does not exist yet, you can register it through Bumara. Start with
    [name clearance](/regulators/pacra/name-clearance).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use Bumara for more than one business?">
    Yes. One login can belong to several organisations, and you switch between them. Data never
    crosses between them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I have not filed anything for years?">
    Run a [compliance health check](/start/compliance-health-check) first. It establishes exactly
    what is outstanding, including penalties and interest, so you catch up from facts rather than
    guesses.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Compliance

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does Bumara file on my behalf?">
    Yes. You prepare the filing and request submission; the Bumara team lodges it with the
    regulator and returns the acknowledgement to your vault. Nothing is filed without you
    requesting it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can I not file directly myself?">
    Regulator portals are inconsistent, go down, change formats, and reject submissions for reasons
    that are not obvious. Having a trained team handle lodgement means a rejection is dealt with by
    someone who has seen it before.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does a submission take?">
    Preparation and lodgement is usually quick. How long the regulator takes to accept varies —
    some confirm immediately, others take days. You are notified at each stage.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I miss a deadline?">
    The filing stays on your list, flagged as overdue, and remains your responsibility. File it as
    soon as you can — penalties generally increase with time. If you have missed several periods,
    run a health check.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to file if I had no activity?">
    Yes, almost always. That is a nil return, with a reason. An unfiled nil return attracts the
    same late-filing penalty as one with figures.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I change something after submission?">
    Not directly. Raise it through the messages panel on that filing — the team will advise on
    amendment, since the process differs by regulator and circumstance.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Money and fees

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What am I charged for a filing?">
    Two things, always shown separately: the **regulator fee**, set by the regulator, and Bumara's
    **handling fee**. See [Paying fees](/compliance/paying-fees).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is my subscription separate from regulator fees?">
    Yes. Your monthly subscription covers your use of Bumara. Regulator and handling fees are
    charged per filing or service request.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is my payment not showing?">
    Usually a reference mismatch — the reference on the payment panel must be used exactly. Bank
    transfers also take longer than mobile money. Upload your proof of payment to speed up matching.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I get a refund if a submission is rejected?">
    Regulator fees are subject to that regulator's rules, which are generally strict. Whether a
    second fee applies on resubmission is shown before you resubmit.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Invoicing

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why can I not edit a sent invoice?">
    Because the customer has a copy. Changing your version behind their back means your records
    disagree, and an edited invoice sequence is exactly what a ZRA audit questions. Correct with a
    credit note.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to use ZRA Smart Invoice?">
    It depends on whether your business falls within its scope. If it does, invoices must be
    transmitted. Bumara handles the transmission once you have registered your device.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if ZRA is down when I approve an invoice?">
    Approval always succeeds. In real-time mode the transmission fails and is retried; in scheduled
    mode it simply waits for the next batch. A ZRA outage never blocks you from invoicing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I invoice in another currency?">
    Your default currency is set in organisation settings, normally ZMW. Check your settings for
    what is available to your account.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Payroll

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I reverse a pay run?">
    Before payment, yes — reverse the approval, correct, and re-run. After employees have been
    paid, correcting in the following month is almost always better, because reversing affects
    payslips, statutory returns and your bank reconciliation at once.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is NHIMA so much less than NAPSA?">
    Different rates and different bases. NAPSA is 5.5% of **gross** pay; NHIMA is 1% of **basic**
    salary. An employee with large allowances sees a wide gap.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can employees see their own payslips?">
    Yes, if you invite them with the Employee role. They see their own and nobody else's, which
    removes the monthly distribution task.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Who should approve payroll?">
    Not the person who ran it. That separation is the main control in payroll, and Bumara supports
    it through roles.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I deduct PAYE but do not remit it?">
    That is treated far more seriously than simply being late with your own tax. The deduction is
    not your money. If cash flow is the problem, address it before the deduction, not after.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Inventory

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why can I not just type a new stock quantity?">
    Because then no quantity would have a history. Every change is recorded as an operation with a
    reason and an author, which is what lets you explain any balance later.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is negative stock blocked?">
    A negative balance means your records and reality have diverged. Carrying on makes it worse.
    Find the cause. An administrator can override where genuinely necessary, with a reason.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How often should I count stock?">
    Cycle count a subset weekly or monthly, and do a full count quarterly. Cycle counting catches
    problems earlier and avoids shutting down for a full count.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does a lay-by reduce my stock?">
    Not until it completes. Set lay-by goods aside physically and label them, since your available
    stock figure still includes them.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Team and access

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How many people can I invite?">
    One on Start, two on Plus, five on Pro, unlimited on Enterprise. See
    [Plan and billing](/account/plan-and-billing).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I stop someone seeing salaries?">
    Yes — that is what roles are for. The full matrix of who sees what is in
    [Team and roles](/account/team-and-roles).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to someone's work when they leave?">
    It stays. Invoices they raised, payroll they ran and documents they uploaded all remain, and
    the timeline still records that they did it. Your audit trail must survive staff turnover.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Should I share a login to save on user limits?">
    No. It destroys the audit trail — you cannot tell who did what — and it cannot be revoked for
    one person without locking out everyone. Upgrade instead.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Data and security

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is my employee data safe?">
    Sensitive fields — NRC, passport, TPIN, bank details, regulator credentials — are encrypted,
    and access is controlled by role. See
    [Security and privacy](/account/security-and-privacy).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to give Bumara my regulator passwords?">
    No. For a health check you can provide statements and notices yourself instead. That
    regulator's review will simply take longer.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I export my data?">
    Yes — invoices, payroll, documents and most reports. Do this before an audit, at year end, and
    before closing your account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I stop using Bumara?">
    Export your data, complete or cancel anything in flight, settle outstanding fees, and contact
    support to close the account. Your regulatory obligations continue regardless — make
    arrangements for how they will be met.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>
  Not answered here? Try [Troubleshooting](/help/troubleshooting), or raise a message on the
  specific record you are asking about.
</Note>