This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
Uhuru Orders Tax Appeals Tribunal to Resolve Sh300 Billion Disputes Within 100 Days ¶
President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed the Tax Appeals Tribunal to resolve Sh300 billion in tax disputes within 100 days. The President made the directive during the Taxpayers' Day hosted by the Kenya Revenue Authority on November 5, 2019.
According to the President, there were over 1,000 cases and Sh300 billion in disputed tax that had been pending before the tribunal and courts for more than two years. He noted that this represented a significant bottleneck in the tax administration process.
President Kenyatta also urged the courts to deal with tax cases with speed, saying that the judiciary could expedite the cases if it so desired. He took a swipe at Chief Justice David Maraga, who had an outburst following the budget cuts on the judiciary.
The President also called on the Kenya Revenue Authority to use soft power in getting taxpayers to remit taxes. He noted that not all businesses or individuals are criminals, and that KRA should take up alternative dispute resolution instead of engaging in never-ending court battles with some taxpayers.
President Kenyatta also warned that tax evasion would be dealt with decisively, and directed relevant state agencies to enforce the law in ensuring tax cheats are punished. He also directed the National Treasury to review the KRA Act and increase incentives to whistle-blowers that give credible information to the tax collector.
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