First things first, Is it real? Yes, the email from BDO Zimbabwe about your Starlink account is legitimate. It’s part of Starlink’s tax compliance process in Zimbabwe.
Yes, the communication has been poorly executed by both Starlink and BDO (suspicious looking email address, using IP addresses instead of actual words etc…) but it’s legitimate. It’s so bad some email systems where picking it up this as Spam. In fact, because of this, it’s possible some Starlink Subscribers didn’t see it at all.
So why are you getting this?
Starlink needs to comply with Zimbabwe’s tax regulations (ZIMRA requirements). Since they don’t have a physical office in Zimbabwe, they’ve partnered with BDO Zimbabwe, a local accounting firm, to handle this process.
What you need to do:
- Open the email from BDO
- Click the link provided (yes, it’s safe even though it’s just an IP address)
- You’ll see a form pre-filled with your: Starlink Customer ID, Name, Email, Location coordinates
- Review the pre-filled information to ensure it’s correct
- If you have a Tax Identification Number (TIN) or VAT number, enter it
- If you don’t have either, you can leave these fields blank
- Click “Update” when done
Common concerns addressed:
- This won’t affect your Starlink subscription costs
- Your service will continue as normal
- You won’t need to provide any payment information
- This is just a one-time update for tax compliance
Still worried?
If you’re still worried about this email and don’t want to respond or click anything inside it, BDO and Starlink have certainly earned your hesitation. You can still go ahead and contact them to register your displeasure (BDO phone number is: (024) 2703876)
You can also contact Starlink via their support channels.
Please note however that this will need to be done. Better do it than risk disruption of your service at some point.
Do you have other questions about Starlink?
Techzim has created a Starlink WhatsApp group where Zimbabweans can help each other with Starlink information. Here’s the link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KL828sVKAOjFCZLkPUsL77
