The claws of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) are scratching deeper, even as the taxman offers defaulters another chance to escape prosecution.
In a statement by KRA Commissioner General James Mburu, the taxman, which defended itself of its recent crackdown of suspected tax evaders, called on those who have not been paying their dues to co-operate with the authority.
“We call upon those who have not been complying with the law and therefore not paying their rightful share of taxes to come forward and do so,” Mburu said.
The KRA Commissioner General added, “We encourage them to liaise with KRA offices and Service Centres countrywide. KRA is committed to guiding them in the process of determination and payment of taxes.”
KRA’s statement comes amid the claims of tax evasion levelled against individuals such as Keroche Breweries co-founders Joseph and Tabitha Karanja, as well as billionaire businessman Humphrey Kariuki.
The Keroche Breweries directors, who were arrested on August 22, are facing allegations of 10 counts of tax evasion, amounting to Ksh14 billion. Kariuki, on the other hand, stares at an alleged Ksh41 billion tax fraud suit.
The narrative that local entrepreneurs are being attacked by the taxman has developed and was also the one propagated by Keroche heiress and Nero Company CEO Anerlisa Muigai, who took to Instagram in defence of her parents, to call on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene.
KRA, however, said that its recent crackdown was contrary to the narrative being proposed. ” Kenyans should reject the narrative that KRA is fighting any individual or business. On the contrary, KRA has the additional responsibility of trade facilitation under which we support a business environment that is conducive for growth of business, which further results in increased taxes,” KRA said.
Fight Against Tax Evasion
The taxman also warned that the fight against tax evasion was going to continue in the case of individuals knowingly bending the law so as to get away with paying their dues.
“KRA is determined to pursue those who have deliberately chosen to evade taxes through various practices,” Mburu said.
Five Reasons KRA Will Knock On Your Door Over Tax Evasion
1.Failure to disclose fully the income they have earned
2.Mis-statement of expenses to reduce the taxable income and therefore evade taxes.
3.Failure to pay the correct import taxes through concealment of goods, misdeclarations and undervaluation among other schemes
4.Failure to withhold and remit taxes as required by law
5.Any other non-compliance with tax laws
The taxman added, “All we desire is that all eligible taxpayers make every effort to pay their rightful share of taxes.”
According to statistics in the KRA statement, revenue collection by the taxman has grown 680% between 2002 and 2019. The increase has seen the taxman move from collecting Ksh201 billion to reaching a collection of Ksh1.58 trillion.
KRA Staff Crackdown And Investigating Suspected Money Launderers
The authority also signalled a warning to any of its staff who may be colluding with tax evaders that the writing is on the wall.
“We have set up mechanisms for identifying and investigating staff who aid tax evasion and we are subjecting them to our internal disciplinary processes,” KRA said.
Mburu added that in conjunction with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the taxman would seek to have their rogue staff prosecuted along with tax evaders.
KRA also beamed a signal to potential money launderers, saying that it would collaborate with authorities to share information about persons whose numbers were not adding up.
“We will also share information on those who have wealth that is not consistent with their known sources of income with the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) and the Ethics & Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for appropriate action,” the taxman said.
Leave a comment