KRA eyes rich tax cheats from social media posts

Times Tower

Times Tower in Nairobi, the headquarters of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). 

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • The taxman is training its guns on rich Kenyans displaying lavish lifestyles on social media but paying little or no taxes.
  • The tax cheats risk travel bans, collection of duty directly from their suppliers and bankers and prosecution in what is emerging to be the biggest crackdown yet on high-net-worth individuals.
  • The KRA is racing to bring more people into the tax bracket and curb tax cheating and evasion in the quest to meet targets.

The taxman is training its guns on rich Kenyans displaying lavish lifestyles on social media but paying little or no taxes.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner-General Githii Mburu said his officers are now spending time on social media, trolling Kenyans posting photos of luxurious cars, throwing expensive parties, living lavishly to ensure their taxes are in tandem with their image.

In a move that is set to strike at the heart of the ‘soft life’ generation, socialites and a growing number of Kenyans who are splashing their lives on social media, the KRA says it is time for every Kenyan to pay their fair share of taxes.

The tax cheats risk travel bans, collection of duty directly from their suppliers and bankers and prosecution in what is emerging to be the biggest crackdown yet on high-net-worth individuals.

The KRA is racing to bring more people into the tax bracket and curb tax cheating and evasion in the quest to meet targets.

The taxman has a team focused on smoking out tax cheats through sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

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