This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
On August 29, 2019, KRA Commissioner-General James Githii Mburu emphasized that the ongoing crackdown on tax evaders is not personal and is aimed at recovering hundreds of billions lost through tax evasion.
According to Mburu, KRA must recover Sh250 billion lost through tax evasion in the past two years. He attributed the recent high-profile arrests over tax evasion to the advanced systems used at the KRA, which have made it easier to spot tax evaders.
"The war goes on. It is not personal, political or economic sabotage. We must recover a whopping Sh250 billion lost through tax evasion in the past two years only," Mburu said in an interview with Citizen TV.
Mburu explained that the KRA uses advanced systems to identify tax evaders, including when a taxpayer's amount paid to the government has reduced over the years. For instance, if a taxpayer paid Sh10 billion last year and is meant to pay Sh3 billion this year, the system flags this as a potential issue.
After identifying potential tax evasion, the KRA engages an army of intelligent officers who gather lifestyle audits to supplement the system findings. If it is confirmed that a taxpayer is evading tax, the KRA engages them to find out what the problem is.
However, if the taxpayer refuses to cooperate, the KRA uses the law to bring them to justice. Mburu also noted that many businessmen who have not been paying their rightful share of taxes have come forward to ask for tax payment plans.
