(Tax Research UK)
It’s not just the Tax Justice Network thinking about tax in Kenya right now. The following is part of a thoughtful piece on tax by Hassan Kulundu published in the Kenya Times today and deserving wider coverage (so I hope they’ll forgive the extensive quote). It draws attention to real issues that need to be addressed in African taxation, and which the Tax Justice Network for Africa will want to deal with:
Taxes and taxation are generally regarded as unpleasant subjects, which call to mind Justice John Marhall’s often-cited dictum that “the power to tax is the power to destroy.” But against this aura of unpleasantness must be set the statement of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr that “taxes are the price we pay for civilisation.”
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
BBC Report: Companies 'looting' a continent
25th July 2007 (BBC Daily Email)
Charities claim that UK companies are milking profits from developing countries by evading tax.
Charities claim that UK companies are milking profits from developing countries by evading tax.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Kenya: Officials Tell Off Tax Evaders
7th August 2007 (Daily Nation)
Tax administrators from 46 Commonwealth countries meeting in Nairobi have decried evaders and frauds saying they posed a major challenge to their work. The 28th annual technical Conference of Commonwealth Association of Tax administrators (CATA) was opened at Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday evening by Finance minister, Amos Kimunya. This is the first time the conference dubbed Promoting Economic Sovereignty through Tax Reforms is being held in Kenya since the tax administrators association was formed in 1977. Speaking during the opening ceremony, Mr Kimunya said developing countries were confronted by challenges in tax collection, particularly from multinational firms. "The globalisation of business has visited unprecedented challenges upon the newly-created revenue agencies. "This is especially with regard to the complex nature of the trade dealings of multi-national corporations with elaborate branch networks abroad," he said. The minister said CATA should seek ways on how to effectively mitigate the devastating effects of tax frauds, evasion and avoidance and money laundering. Complex schemes He said this happens through complex schemes such as transfer pricing and thin capitalisation, among other ways. CATA chairman, Mustapha Mosafeer also singled out these as major challenges. Kimunya said CATA provided a forum for sharing experiences on best practices in tax administration reforms. The organisation deals in technical training and consultancy on tax matters. Mr Kimunya said the tax administration reforms the Government had instituted from 2003, had enabled the country to double its tax collection to Sh380 billion from Sh190 billion in 2002. The Government's target for this financial year was Sh420 billion. Kenya Revenue Authority commissioner-general, Michael Waweru, said revenue collection in several countries could decline due to environmental degradation. He said there was need to find the linkage between environmental sustenability, economic development and revenue collection. "The changing climate patterns, perhaps should begin to act as a wake up call to revenue agencies that revenue figures are under threat," Mr Waweru said.
Tax administrators from 46 Commonwealth countries meeting in Nairobi have decried evaders and frauds saying they posed a major challenge to their work. The 28th annual technical Conference of Commonwealth Association of Tax administrators (CATA) was opened at Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday evening by Finance minister, Amos Kimunya. This is the first time the conference dubbed Promoting Economic Sovereignty through Tax Reforms is being held in Kenya since the tax administrators association was formed in 1977. Speaking during the opening ceremony, Mr Kimunya said developing countries were confronted by challenges in tax collection, particularly from multinational firms. "The globalisation of business has visited unprecedented challenges upon the newly-created revenue agencies. "This is especially with regard to the complex nature of the trade dealings of multi-national corporations with elaborate branch networks abroad," he said. The minister said CATA should seek ways on how to effectively mitigate the devastating effects of tax frauds, evasion and avoidance and money laundering. Complex schemes He said this happens through complex schemes such as transfer pricing and thin capitalisation, among other ways. CATA chairman, Mustapha Mosafeer also singled out these as major challenges. Kimunya said CATA provided a forum for sharing experiences on best practices in tax administration reforms. The organisation deals in technical training and consultancy on tax matters. Mr Kimunya said the tax administration reforms the Government had instituted from 2003, had enabled the country to double its tax collection to Sh380 billion from Sh190 billion in 2002. The Government's target for this financial year was Sh420 billion. Kenya Revenue Authority commissioner-general, Michael Waweru, said revenue collection in several countries could decline due to environmental degradation. He said there was need to find the linkage between environmental sustenability, economic development and revenue collection. "The changing climate patterns, perhaps should begin to act as a wake up call to revenue agencies that revenue figures are under threat," Mr Waweru said.
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